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XXXIV 

A  "Printer's  Devil"  Whose  Perse- 
verance Wins  Him  Weil-Earned 
Reputation  as  a  Fun-Maker. 

THE  felicity  of  F.  Opper's  caricatures  is  mar- 
velous. His  drawings  for  the  Dinkelspiel 
stories,  by  George  V.  Hobart,  in  the  New 
York  "Morning  Journal"  have  drawn  to  him 
the  pleased  attention  of  those  whom  he  has  caused  to 
laugh  at  the  happy  expressions  of  his  characters,  —  at 
the  ridiculous  expressions  of  the  characters,  —  during 
Mr.  Dinkelspiel's  "gonversationings,"  particularly  at 
Mr.  Dinkelspiel's  earnest  look. 

He  is  a  caricaturist  of  the  "first  water,"  and  in  this 
connection  I  may  say  that  a  caricature  too  carefully 
drawn  often  loses  its  humor.  Still  Mr.  Opper  has 
proved  his  ability  to  finish  a  drawing  smoothly.  Those 
familiar  with  the  back  numbers  of  "Puck"  will  concede 
this  and  much  more. 

His  life  is  an  example  of  determination.  I  called,  by 
appointment,  at  his  house  in  Bensonhurst  (near  Bath 
Beach),  a  pretty  suburb  within  the  precincts  of  Greater 
New  York.  We  stepped  into  his  library. 

He  drew  my  attention  to  the  pictures  on  the  four 

353 


Frederick  Burr  Opper 

walls  of  the  room.  "Those  are  all  'originals,'  by  con- 
temporaries," he  said,  "and  there  is  one  by  poor  Mike 
Woolf.  We  were  intimate  friends,  and  I  attended  his 
funeral." 

STUDIES  OUT  HIS  IDEAS. 

The  conversation  turned  toward  Mr.  Opper  himself, 
and  I  asked : — 

"How  is  it  you  can  conceive  so  many  ridiculous  ideas 
and  predicaments?" 

"It  is  a  matter  of  study,"  he  replied.  "I  work  me- 
thodically certain  hours  of  the  day,  but  very  seldom  at 
night.  We  will  say  it  is  a  political  cartoon  on  a  certain 
occurrence  that  I  am  to  draw.  I  deliberately  sit  down 
and  study  out  my  idea.  When  it  is  formed,  I  begin  to 
draw.  I  never  commence  to  draw  without  a  conception 
of  what  I  am  going  to  do." 

"And  when  did  you  first  put  pencil  to  paper?"  I 
asked. 

"Almost  as  soon  as  I  could  creep.  I  was  born  in 
Madison,  Ohio,  in  1857,  and  as  far  back  as  I  can  re- 
member, I  had  a  determination  to  become  an  artist. 
My  path  often  swerved  from  my  ambition,  on  account 
of  necessity,  but  my  determination  was  back  of  me,  and 
whenever  an  obstacle  was  removed  I  advanced  thus 
much  farther  toward  my  goal. 

"I  went  to  the  village  school  till  I  was  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  then  I  went  to  work  in  the  village  store. 
Both  at  school  and  in  the  store,  every  spare  moment 

354 


Originator  of  the  "  Suburban  Resident " 

found  me  with  pencil  and  paper,  sketching  something 
comical ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  I  became  known 
for  it." 

A  PRINTER'S  DEVIL. 

"I  remained  in  the  store  for  a  few  months,  and  then 
went  to  work  on  the  weekly  paper,  and  acted  the  part 
of  a  'printer's  devil.'  Afterward,  I  set  type.  In  about 
a  year,  the  idea  firmly  possessed  me  that  I  could  draw, 
and  I  decided  that  it  was  best  to  go  to  New  York.  But 
my  self-esteem  was  not  so  great  as  to  rate  myself  a  full- 
fledged  artist.  My  idea  was  to  obtain  a  position  as  a 
compositor  in  New  York,  to  draw  between  times,  and 
gradually  to  land  myself  where  my  hopes  all  centered. 
So  my  disappointment  was  great  when,  on  arriving  in 
the  city,  I  discovered  that,  to  become  a  compositor,  I 
must  serve  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years.  I  was  in 
New  York,  in  an  artistic  environment,  and  had  burned 
my  bridges ;  accordingly  I  looked  for  a  place,  and  ob- 
tained one  in  a  store.  One  of  my  duties  there  was  to 
make  window  cards,  to  advertise  the  whole  line,  or  a 
particular  lot  of  goods.  I  decorated  them  in  my  best 
fashion." 

GOOD  USE  OF  LEISURE  TIME. 

"All  the  leisure  I  had  to  myself,  evenings  and  holi- 
days, I  spent  in  making  comic  sketches,  and  I  took  them 
to  the  comic  papers, — to  the  Thunny  Phellow,'  and 
'Wild  Oats.'  I  just  submitted  rough  sketches.  Soon 

355 


Frederick  Burr  Opper 

the  editors  permitted  me  to  draw  the  sketches  also, 
which  was  great  encouragement.  I  met  Frank  Beard, 
and  called  on  him,  by  request,  and  he  proposed  that  I 
come  into  his  office.  So  I  left  the  store,  after  having 
been  there  eight  or  nine  months,  and  ceased  drawing 
show-cards  for  the  windows.  I  drew  for  'Wild  Oats,' 
'Harper's  Weekly,'  'Frank  Leslie's,'  and  the  'Century,' 
which  at  that  time  was  Scribner's  publication;  and 
later  for  'St.  Nicholas.'  " 

It  was  then  that  Mr.  Opper  had  an  offer  from  "Les- 
lie's" to  work  on  the  staff  at  a  salary,  which  he 
accepted. 

"I  was  only  a  little  over  twenty  years  of  age,"  he  con- 
tinued. "I  was  a  humorous  draughtsman,  and  a  special 
artist,  also;  going  where  I  was  directed  to  make 
sketches  of  incidents,  people  and  scenes." 

Six  years  before,  Mr.  Opper  had  left  the  village 
school  with  a  burning  determination  to  become  an 
artist.  It  can  be  seen  how  well  he  sailed  his  bark, — 
tacking  and  drifting,  and  finally  beating  home  with  the 
wind  full  on  the  sails.  This  shows  what  determination 
will  do. 

HIS  CONNECTION  WITH  "PUCK." 

"Three  years  later,"  said  Mr.  Opper,  "I  had  an  offer 
from  the  publishers  of  'Puck'  to  work  for  them, — a 
connection  which  I  severed  not  long  ago,  although  I 
still  hold  stock  in  the  company.  I  not  only  made  my 
own  drawings,  but  furnished  ideas  for  others.  I  have 

356 


Originator  of  the  "  Suburban  Resident " 

always  furnished  my  own  captions,  inscriptions  and 
headings.  Indeed,  they  are  a  part  of  a  cartoon,  or 
other  humorous  work.  I  think  that  I  may  say  that 
'Puck'  owes  some  of  its  success  to  me,  for  I  labored 
conscientiously." 

Mr.  Opper  walked  over  to  a  mantelpiece  for  two 
books  of  sketches,  which  he  handed  me  to  look  at. 
They  contained  sketches  of  the  country  places  he  had 
visited  on  his  summer  wanderings. 

"And  you  use  these  ?"  I  asked. 

"Yes ;  if  I  want  a  farmer  leaning  over  a  fence  with 
a  cow  in  the  distance.  I  can  use  that  barnyard  scene 
And  that  bit  of  a  country  road  can  be  made  useful.  So 
can  that  corncrib  with  the  tin  pans  turned  upside  down 
on  the  posts  supporting  it,  to  keep  the  rats  off.  That 
old  hay-wagon,  and  that  farmer  with  a  rake  and  a  large 
straw  hat  can  all  be  worked  in.  I  always  carry  a  sketch- 
book with  me,  no  matter  where  I  go." 

THE  "SUBURBAN  RESIDENT/' 

On  "Puck,"  Mr.  Opper  was  the  originator  of  the 
"suburban  resident,"  who  has  since  been  the  subject  of 
much  innocent  merriment, — the  gentleman  with  the 
high  silk  hat,  side  whiskers,  glasses,  an  anxious  ex- 
pression, and  bundles,  and  always  on  the  rush  for  a 
train. 

"I  enjoyed  those,"  said  Mr.  Opper,  with  a  laugh, 
"before  I  became  a  suburban  myself  " 


357 


XXXV 

"  A  Square  Man  in  a  Round  Hole ' 
Rejects  $5,000  a  Year  and  Be- 
comes a  Sculptor. 

LIFE?"  repeated  F.  Wellington  Ruck- 
stuhl,  one  of  the  foremost  sculptors  of 
America,  as  we  sat  in  his  studio  looking 
up  at  his  huge  figure  of  "Force."  "When 
did  I  begin  to  sculpture?  As  a  child  I  was  forever 
whittling,  but  I  did  not  have  dreams  then  of  becoming 
a  sculptor.  It  was  not  till  I  was  thirty-two  years  of 
age.  And  love, — disappointment  in  my  first  love  played 
a  prominent  part." 

"Bait  as  a  boy,  Mr.  Ruckstuhl  ?" 
"I  was  a  poet.  Every  sculptor  or  artist  is  necessarily 
a  poet.  I  was  always  reaching  out  and  seeking  the 
beautiful.  My  father  was  a  foreman  in  a  St.  Louis 
machine  shop.  He  came  to  this  country  in  a  sailing 
ship  from  Alsace,  by  way  of  the  Gulf,  to  St.  Louis, 
when  I  was  but  six  years  old.  He  was  a  very  pious 
man  and  a  deacon  in  a  church.  One  time,  Moody  and 
Sankey  came  to  town,  and  my  father  made  me  attend 
the  meetings.  I  think  he  hoped  that  I  would  become  a 
minister.  But  I  decided  that  'many  are  called,  but  few 

358 


are  chosen.'  Between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  nine- 
teen, I  worked  in  a  photographic  supply  store;  wrote 
one  hundred  poems,  and  read  incessantly.  I  enlarged 
a  view  of  the  statue  of  Nelson  in  Trafalgar  Square, 
London,  into  a  '  plaster  sketch,'  ten  times  as  large  as 
the  picture,  but  still  I  did  not  know  my  path.  I  began 
the  study  of  philosophy,  and  kept  up  my  reading  for 
ten  years.  My  friends  thought  I  would  become  a  liter- 
ary man.  I  wrote  for  the  papers,  and  belonged  to  a 
prominent  literary  club.  I  tried  to  analyze  myself.  '  I 
am  a  man,'  I  said,  'but  what  am  I  good  for  ?  What  am 
I  to  make  of  this  life  ?'  I  drifted  from  one  position  to 
another.  Every  one  was  sorry  to  part  with  my  ser- 
vices, for  I  always  did  my  duties  as  well  as  they  can 
be  done.  When  I  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  the 
girl  to  whom  I  was  attached  was  forced  by  her  mother 
to  marry  a  wealthy  man.  She  died  a  year  afterward, 
and  I  '  pulled  up  stakes,'  and  started  on  a  haphazard, 
reckless  career.  I  went  to  Colorado,  drifted  into  Ari- 
zona, prospected,  mined  and  worked  on  a  ranch.  I 
went  to  California,  and  at  one  time  thought  of  shipping 
for  China.  My  experiences  would  fill  a  book.  Again 
I  reached  St.  Louis.  For  a  year  I  could  not  find  a 
thing  to  do,  and  became  desperate." 

MADE   HIS  FIRST  SKETCH   AT  TWENTY-FIVE. 

"And  you  had  done  nothing  at  art  so  far?"  I  asked. 

"At  that  time  I  saw  a  clay  sketch.    I  said  to  myself, 

'  I  can  do  as  well  as  that/  and  I  copied  it.    My  second 

359 


F.  Wellington  Ruckstuhl 

sketch  admitted  me  to  the  St.  Louis  Sketch  Club.  I 
told  my  friends  that  I  would  be  a  sculptor.  They 
laughed  and  ridiculed  me.  I  had  secured  a  position  in 
a  store,  and  at  odd  times  worked  at  what  I  had  always 
loved,  but  had  only  half  realized  it.  Notices  appeared 
in  the  papers  about  me,  for  I  was  popular  in  the  com- 
munity. I  entered  the  competition  for  a  statue  of  Gen- 
eral Frank  R.  Blair.  I  received  the  first  prize,  but 
when  the  committee  discovered  that  I  was  only  a  bill 
clerk  in  a  store,  they  argued  that  I  was  not  competent 
to  carry  out  the  work,  although  I  was  given  the  first 
prize  medal  and  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  ac- 
companying  it." 

"But  that  inspired  you?" 

"Yes,  but  my  father  and  mother  put  every  obstacle 
in  the  way  possible.  I  was  driven  from  room  to  room. 
I  was  not  even  allowed  to  work  in  the  attic."  Here 
Mr.  Ruckstuhl  laughed.  "You  see  what  genius  has  to 
contend  with.  I  was  advanced  in  position  in  the  store, 
till  I  became  assistant  manager  at  two  thousand  dollars 
a  year.  When  I  told  the  proprietor  that  I  had  decided 
to  be  a  sculptor,  he  gazed  at  me  in  blank  astonishment. 
'A  sculptor  ?'  he  queried,  incredulously,  and  made  a  few 
very  discouraging  remarks,  emphasized  with  dashes. 
'Why,  young  man,  are  you  going  to  throw  up  the 
chance  of  a  lifetime?  I  will  give  you  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year,  and  promote  you  to  be  manager  if  you 
will  remain  with  me/  " 

360 


Sculptor 

HE  GAVE  UP  A  LARGE  SALARY  TO  PURSUE  ART. 

"But  I  had  found  my  life's  work,"  said  Mr.  Ruck- 
stuhl,  turning  to  me.  "I  knew  it  would  be  a  struggle 
through  poverty,  till  I  attained  fame.  But  I  was  con- 
fident in  myself,  which  is  half  of  the  battle." 

"And  you  went  abroad  ?" 

"Yes,  with  but  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,"  he 
replied.  "I  traveled  through  Europe  for  five  months, 
and  visited  the  French  Salon.  I  said  to  myself,  'I  can 
do  that,  and  that,'  and  my  confidence  grew.  But  there 
was  some  work  that  completely  'beat'  me.  I  returned 
to  America  penniless,  but  with  a  greater  insight  into 
art.  I  determined  that  I  would  retrace  my  steps  to 
Paris,  and  study  there  for  three  years,  and  thought 
that  would  be  sufficient  to  fully  develop  me.  My  family 
and  friends  laughed  me  to  scorn,  and  I  was  discouraged 
by  everyone.  In  four  months,  in  St.  Louis,  I  secured 
seven  orders  for  busts,  at  two  hundred  dollars  each,  to 
be  done  after  my  return  from  France.  That  shows  that 
some  persons  had  confidence  in  me  and  in  my  talent. 

"O,  the  student  life  in  Paris !  How  I  look  back  with 
pleasure  upon  those  struggling,  yet  happy  days!  In 
two  months,  I  started  on  my  female  figure  of  'Evening/ 
in  the  nude,  that  now  is  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  Art.  I  finished  it  in  nine  months,  and  positively 
sweat  blood  in  my  work.  I  sent  it  to  the  Salon,  and 
went  to  Italy.  When  I  returned  to  Paris,  I  saw  my 
name  in  the  paper,  with  honorable  mention.  I  suppose 
you  can  realize  my  feelings;  I  experienced  the  first 

361 


F.  Wellington  Ruckstuhl 

flush  of  victory.  I  brought  it  to  America,  and  exposed 
it  in  St.  Louis.  Strange  to  say,  I  rose  in  the  estimation 
of  even  my  family.  My  father  actually  congratulated 
me.  A  wealthy  man  in  St.  Louis  gave  me  three 
thousand  dollars  to  have  my  'Evening'  put  into  marble. 
I  returned  with  it  to  Paris,  and  in  a  month  and  a  quar- 
ter it  was  exhibited  in  the  Salon.  At  the  world's  Fair 
at  Chicago,  it  had  the  place  of  honor,  and  received  one 
of  the  eleven  grand  medals  given  to  American  sculp- 
tors. In  1892,  I  came  to  New  York.  This  statue  of 
'Force'  will  be  erected,  with  my  statue  of  'Wisdom/ 
on  the  new  Hall  of  Records  in  New  York." 

We  gazed  at  it,  seated  and  clothed  in  partial  armor, 
of  the  old  Roman  type,  and  holding  a  sword  across  its 
knees.  The  great  muscles  spoke  of  strength  and  force, 
and  yet  with  it  all  there  was  an  almost  benign  look 
upon  the  military  visage. 

"There  is  force  and  real  action  there,  withal,  although 
there  is  repose,"  I  said  in  admiration. 

THE    INSPIRATION    THAT    COUNTS. 

"Oh,"  said  Mr.  Ruckstuhl,  "that's  it,  and  that  is 
what  it  is  so  hard  to  get !  That  is  what  every  sculptor 
strives  for ;  and,  unless  he  attains  it,  his  work,  from  my 
point  of  view  is  worthless.  There  must  be  life  in  a 
statue;  it  must  almost  breathe.  In  repose  there  must 
be  dormant  action  that  speaks  for  itself." 

"Is  most  of  your  work  done  under  inspiration?"  I 
asked. 

362 


Sculptor 

"There  is  nothing,  and  a  great  deal,  in  so-called  in- 
spiration. I  firmly  believe  that  we  mortals  are  merely 
tools,  mediums,  at  work  here  on  earth.  I  peg  away 
and  bend  all  my  energies  to  my  task.  I  simply  accom- 
plish nothing.  Suddenly,  after  considerable  prepara- 
tory toil,  the  mist  clears  away;  I  see  things  clearly; 
everything  is  outlined  for  me.  I  believe  there  is  a  con- 
scious and  a  subconscious  mind.  The  subconscious 
mind  is  the  one  that  does  original  work;  it  cannot  be 
affected  by  the  mind  that  is  conscious  to  all  our  petty 
environments.  When  the  conscious  mind  is  lulled  and 
silenced,  the  subconscious  one  begins  to  work.  That  I 
call  inspiration." 

"Are  you  ever  discouraged  ?"  I  asked  out  of  curiosity. 

"Continually,"  replied  Mr.  Ruckstuhl,  looking  down 
at  his  hands,  soiled  with  the  working  clay.  "Some  days 
I  will  be  satisfied  with  what  I  have  done.  It  will  strike 
me  as  simply  fine.  I  will  be  as  happy  as  a  bird,  and 
leave  simply  joyous.  The  following  morning,  when 
the  cloths  are  removed,  I  look  at  my  precious  toil,  and 
consider  it  vile.  I  ask  myself :  'Are  you  a  sculptor  or 
not  ?  Do  you  think  that  you  ever  will  be  one  ?  Do  you 
consider  that  art?'  So  it  is,  till  your  task  is  accom- 
plished. You  are  your  own  critic,  and  are  continually 
distressed  at  your  inability  to  create  your  ideals." 

Mr.  F.  Wellington  Ruckstuhl  is  fifty  years  of  age; 
neither  short  nor  tall ;  a  brilliant  man,  with  wonderful 
powers  of  endurance,  for  his  work  is  more  exacting 
and  tedious  than  is  generally  supposed. 

363 


F.  Wellington  Ruckstuhl 

"I  have  simply  worked  a  month  and  a  quarter  on 
that  statue,"  he  said.  "Certain  work  dissatisfied  me, 
and  I  obliterated  it.  I  have  raised  that  head  three 
times.  My  eyes  get  weary,  and  I  become  physically 
tired.  On  such  occasions  I  sit  down  and  smoke  a  little 
to  distract  my  thoughts,  and  to  clear  my  mind.  Then 
my  subconscious  mind  comes  into  play  again,"  he  con- 
cluded with  a  smile. 

Mr.  Ruckstuhl's  best  known  works  are:  "Mercury 
Teasing  the  Eagle  of  Jupiter,"  which  is  of  bronze,  nine 
feet  high,  which  he  made  in  Paris ;  a  seven-foot  statue 
of  Solon,  erected  in  the  Congressional  Library  at 
Washington ;  busts  of  Franklin,  Goethe  and  Macaulay, 
on  the  front  of  the  same  library;  and  the  eleven-foot 
statue  of  bronze  of  "Victory,"  for  the  Jamaica  sol- 
diers' and  sailors'  monument.  In  competition,  he  won 
the  contract  for  an  equestrian  statue  of  General  John 
F.  Hartranft,  ex-Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  which  he 
also  made  in  Paris.  It  is  considered  the  finest  piece  of 
work  of  its  kind  in  America.  Besides  this  labor,  he  has 
made  a  number  of  medallions  and  busts. 

"Art  was  in  me  as  a  child,"  he  said ;  "I  was  discour- 
aged whenever  it  beckoned  me,  but  finally  it  claimed 
me.  I  surrendered  a  good  position  to  follow  it,  whether 
it  led  through  a  thorny  road  or  not.  A  sculptor  is  an 
artist,  a  musician,  a  poet,  a  writer,  a  dramatist,  to  throw 
action,  breath  and  life,  music  and  a  soul  into  his  crea- 
tion. I  can  pick  up  an  instrument  and  learn  it  in- 
stantly ;  I  can  sing,  and  act,  so  I  am  in  touch  with  the 

364 


Sculptor 

sympathies  of  the  beings  that  I  endeavor  to  create. 
You  will  find  most  sculptors  and  artists  of  my  com- 
posite nature. 

"There,"  said  Mr.  Ruckstuhl,  and  he  stretched  out 
hi*  arm,  with  his  palm  downward,  and  moved  it 
through  the  air,  as  he  gazed  into  distance,  "you  strive 
to  create  the  imagination  of  your  mind,  and  it  comes 
to  you  as  if  sent  from  another  world. 

"You  strive.    That  is  the  way  to  success." 


365 


XXXVI 

During  Leisure  Hours  He  "Found 
Himself"  and  Abandoned  the 
Law  for  Art. 

THERE  is  a  charming  lesson  in  the  way  Henry 
Merwin  Shrady,  the  sculptor,  "found  him- 
self."   A  few  years  ago,  this  talented  artist, 
whose  splendid  buffalo  and  moose  ornamented 
the  entrance  of  the  Pan-American  Exposition  at  Buf- 
falo, was  employed  as  an  assistant  manager  in  the 
match  business  of  his  brother-in-law,  Edwin  Gould.    It 
was  by  attempts  at  self-improvement  through  painting 
in  oil,  during  leisure  hours,  that  he  discovered    his 
capacity  for  art,  and,  finally,  for  sculpture  of  a  high 
order  of  merit. 

"I  always  secretly  wished,"  he  said  modestly,  "to 
become  a  great  painter,  and,  with  that  in  view,  dabbled 
in  oils  from  childhood.  My  family  wished  me  to  study 
medicine,  but  my  nature  revolted  at  the  cutting  of 
flesh ;  so,  after  a  course  at  Columbia  University,  I 
studied  law.  An  attack  of  typhoid  fever,  caught  at  a 
Yak-Harvard  boat  race,  after  my  graduation,  incapaci- 
tated me  for  work  for  a  year.  Then  I  went  into  the 
match  business,  instead  of  practicing  law. 

366 


Sculptor  of  Animal  Life 

"After  business  hours  and  on  holidays,  I  taught  my- 
self painting.  I  have  never  taken  a  lesson  in  drawing, 
in  painting,  or  in  sculpture,  in  my  life.  I  joined  the 
Bronx  Zoological  Society,  that  I  might  the  better 
study  animals,  and  it  was  at  these  gardens  that  I  made 
the  sketches  for  my  buffalo  and  moose." 

Mr.  Shrady  taught  himself  the  art  of  mixing  oils, 
and  then,  in  spare  hours,  called  on  William  H.  Beard, 
at  his  studio,  for  the  delineator  of  "The  Bulls  and 
Bears  of  Wall  Street"  to  criticise  his  sketches.  Once 
Mr.  Beard  said,  prophetically,  "Some  day  you  will  for- 
sake all  for  art." 

A  PET  DOG  HIS  FIRST  PAINTING. 

The  young  artist  had,  at  his  home,  a  fox-terrier,  of 
which  he  was  very  fond.  He  painted  a  picture  of  the 
dog,  and  his  wife,  thinking  it  an  excellent  piece  of 
work,  offered  it  clandestinely  for  exhibition  at  the 
National  Academy  of  Design.  It  was  accepted.  Great 
was  his  astonishment  when  he  recognized  it  there.  It 
was  sold  for  fifty  dollars.  His  next  serious  attempt 
was  caused  by  a  little  rivalry.  His  sister  brought  from 
abroad  an  expensive  painting  of  some  French  kittens. 
He  instantly  took  a  dislike  to  the  kittens,  and  said  he 
would  paint  her  some  Angora  ones.  To  make  satisfac- 
tory sketches,  he  carried  a  sketch-book  in  his  pocket, 
on  his  walks  to  and  from  his  office,  pausing  on  the 
pavements  before  the  different  fanciers'  windows  to 
sketch  the  kittens  within.  This  picture  was  also  ac- 

367 


Henry  Merwin  Shrady 

cepted  by  the  National  Academy  of  Design.  But  he 
refused  an  offer  to  sell  it,  as  he  had  promised  it  to  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Gould,  for  a  Christmas  present. 

"It  was  on  account  of  the  almost  impossible  feat  of 
getting  colorings  at  night,"  he  said,  "that  I  turned  to 
modeling  in  clay.  I  wanted  to  do  something  to  im- 
prove as  well  as  amuse  me.  I  modeled  a  battery  going 
into  action,  but  did  not  finish  it  till  persuaded  to  do  so 
by  Alvin  S.  Southworth,  a  special  correspondent  of  a 
New  York  paper  in  the  Crimean  War,  and  friend  of 
my  father,  Dr.  Shrady.  It  was  to  gratify  him  that  I 
finished  it.  A  photograph  of  it,  reproduced  in  'The 
Journalist,'  attracted  a  gentleman  in  the  employ  of  the 
firm  of  Theodore  B.  Starr.  He  called  upon  me,  and 
encouraged  me  to  have  it  made  in  Russian  bronze. 
That  house  purchased  it,  and  advised  me  to  enter  the 
field,  as  they  saw  prospects  for  American  military 
pieces." 

Mr.  Shrady  sketched  the  gun-carriage  and  harness 
for  his  battery  in  the  Seventh  Regiment  armory,  to 
which  regiment  he  has  belonged  for  seven  years;  and 
his  own  saddle  horse  was  his  model  for  the  horses  of 
the  battery. 

One  day  Carl  Bitter,  the  sculptor,  dropped  in  at 
Starr's,  while  Mr.  Shrady  was  there.  He  noticed  the 
small  bronzes, — the  buffalo  and  the  moose.  "I  think 
we  can  use  them  at  the  Buffalo  Exposition,"  he  said. 
Mr.  Bitter  offered  the  sculptor  the  use  of  his  studio,  in 
Hoboken,  and,  in  six  weeks,  by  rising  at  half  past  five 


Sculptor  of  Animal  Life 

in  the  morning,  and  working  ten  hours  a  day,  he 
enlarged  his  buffalo  to  eight  feet  in  height,  and  his 
moose,  a  larger  animal,  to  nine  feet.  Then  glue  molds 
were  taken  of  both  of  them,  with  the  greatest  care. 

"I  had  never  enlarged,  or  worked  in  plaster  of  Paris 
before,"  said  Mr.  Shrady.  "They  gave  me  the  tools 
and  plaster,  and  told  me  to  go  to  work.  I  didn't  know 
how  to  proceed,  at  first,  but  eventually  learned  all  right. 
I  think  I  could  do  such  work  with  more  ease  now,"  he 
added,  "for  that  was  practical  experience  I  could  not 
get  in  an  art  school." 

Since  then,  Mr.  Shrady  has  made  a  realistic  cavalry 
piece,  "Saving  the  Colors," — of  two  horsemen,  one 
shot  and  falling,  and  the  other  snatching  the  colors ; 
also,  "The  Empty  Saddle," — of  a  cavalry  horse,  sad- 
dled and  bridled,  and  quietly  grazing  at  a  distance  from 
the  scene  of  the  death  of  his  rider.  This  was  exhibited 
at  the  Academy  of  American  Artists.  The  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts,  of  Philadelphia,  requested  Mr.  Shrady  to 
exhibit  at  its  exhibition  in  January,  1902. 

The  youthful  sculptor  has  the  gift  of  giving  life,  ex- 
pression and  feeling  to  his  animals,  which,  some  say,  is 
unsurpassed. 

A  UNIQUE  EXPERIMENT  WITH  A  HORSE. 

"I  do  not  believe,"  said  he,  "in  working  from  an 
anatomical  figure,  or  in  covering  a  horse  with  skin  and 
hair  after  you  have  laid  in  his  muscles.  You  are  apt  to 
make  prominent  muscles  which  are  not  really  promi- 

369 


Henry  Merwin  Shrady 

nent.  Once  I  soaked  a  horse  with  water,  and  took 
photographs  of  him,  to  make  a  record  of  the  muscles 
and  tendons  that  really  show.  They  are  practically  few, 
except  when  in  active  use.  In  an  art  school  you  learn 
little  about  a  horse.  The  way  which  I  approve  is  to 
place  a  horse  before  you,  study  him  and  know  him,  and 
work  till  you  have  reproduced  him.  No  master,  stand- 
ing over  your  shoulder,  can  teach  you  more  than  you 
can  observe,  if  you  have  the  soul.  Corot  took  his  easel 
into  the  woods,  and  studied  close  to  nature,  till  he 
painted  truthfully  a  landscape.  Angelo's  best  work  was 
that  done  to  suit  his  personal  view. 

"Talent  may  be  born,  but  it  depends  upon  your  own 
efforts  whether  it  comes  to  much.  I  believe  that  if  your 
hobby,  desire,  or  talent,  whichever  you  wish  to  call  it,  is 
to  paint  or  model,  you  can  teach  yourself  better  than 
you  can  be  taught,  providing  you  really  love  your  work, 
as  I  do." 

Thus  did  Mr.  Shrady  desert  a  mechanical  life  he  dis- 
liked, and  start  on  a  promising  career.  He  is  still 
young,  slight,  and  with  delicate  features.  His  heart  is 
tender  toward  animals,  and  he  refuses  to  hunt.  His 
chief  delight  is  in  riding  the  horse  which  has  figured 
so  prominently  in  his  work.  His  success  proves  two 
things :  the  value  of  leisure  moments,  and  the  wisdom 
of  turning  a  hobby  into  a  career. 


370 


XXXVII 

Deformed  in  Body,  His  Cheerful 
Spirit  Makes  Him  the  Enter- 
tainer of  Princes. 

A   SCORE  of  years  ago,  seated  on  a  bench  in 
Bryant  Park,  a  hungry  lad  wept  copious  tears 
over  his  failure  to  gain  a  supper  or  a  night's 
lodging.     A  peddler's  outfit  lay  beside  him. 
Not  a  sale  had  he  made  that  day.     His  curiously  di- 
minutive body  was  neatly  clad,  but  his  heart  was  heavy. 
He  was  dreadfully  hungry,  as  only  a  boy  can  be. 

"Oh,  see  the  funny  little  man !"  exclaimed  a  quartet 
of  little  girls,  as  they  trooped  past  the  shrinking  figure. 
"Mamma !  Come  and  buy  somethirjg  from  him  !" 

Down  the  steps  of  a  brown  stone  mansion  came  a 
young  matron,  curiosity  shining  out  of  her  handsome 
eyes.  The  boy  looked  up  and  smiled.  The  lady  did 
not  buy  anything,  but  her  mother's  heart  was  touched, 
and  before  she  hurried  home  with  her  little  girls,  she 
gave  him  five  cents. 

Last  winter,  two  members  of  the 'Lamb's  Club  were 
about  to  part  on  the  club  steps.  One  was  "The  Prince 
of  Entertainers  and  the  Entertainer  of  Princes,"  Mar- 

37 1 


Marshall  P.  Wilder 

shall  P.  Wilder.  The  other  was  a  distinguished 
lawyer. 

"Come  and  dine  with  me  to-night,  Mr.  Wilder," 
said  the  latter.  "You  have  never  accepted  my  hos- 
pitality, but  you  have  no  engagements  for  to-night,  so 
come  along." 

Ten  minutes  later,  the  great  entertainer  was  pre- 
sented to  the  wife  of  his  host  and  to  four  beautiful 
young  women. 

A  curious  thrill  passed  over  the  guest  as  he  looked 
into  those  charming  faces.  They  seemed  familiar.  A 
flash  of  memory  carried  him  back  to  that  scene  in  the 
park.  He  turned  to  the  hostess : — 

"Do  you  remember," — his  voice  trembled, — "a  little 
chap  in  the  park  years  ago,  to  whom  you  were  kind, — 
'a  funny  little  man,'  the  children  called  him,  and  you 
gave  him  five  cents  ?" 

"Yes,  yes,  I  do  remember  that, — and  you — ?" 

"I  am  the  funny  little  man." 

It  was  indeed  true.  The  hungry  boy  had  not  for- 
gotten it,  though  wealth  and  fame  had  come  to  him  in 
the  meanwhile.  In  a  little  private  diary  that  no  one  sees 
but  himself,  he  has  five  new  birth  dates  marked,  those 
of  the  mother  and  her  four  daughters.  "Just  to  re- 
member those  who  have  been  kind  to  me,"  is  the  only 
explanation  on  the  cover  of  the  book. 

What  a  brightly  interesting  story  is  Wilder's,  any- 
way !  Who  else  in  all  this  great,  broad  land  has  made 
such  a  record, — from  a  peddler's  pack  to  a  fortune  of 

372 


Prince  of  Entertainers 

one  hundred  thousand  dollars, — and  all  because  he  is 
merry  and  bright  and  gay  in  spite  of  his  physical  draw- 
backs. His  nurse  dropped  him  when  he  was  an  infant, 
but  for  years  the  injury  did  not  manifest  itself.  At 
three  he  was  a  bright  baby,  the  pride  of  the  dear  old 
father,  Doctor  Wilder,  who  still  survives  to  enjoy  his 
son's  popularity  in  the  world  of  amusement-makers.  It 
was  no  fault  of  the  doctor  that  Marshall  was  obliged 
to  go  hungry  in  New  York.  Doctor  Wilder  lived  and 
practiced  in  Hartford,  where  his  son  ought  to  have 
stayed,  but  he  didn't.  At  five  he  was  handsome  and 
well  formed,  but  at  twelve  he  stopped  growing.  The 
boys  began  to  tease  him  about  his  diminutive  stature. 

"I  don't  think  I've  grown  very  much  since, — except 
in  experience,"  he  said  the  other  day  in  the  course  of 
a  morning  chat  in  his  handsome  bachelor  apartments. 
"I  thought,  by  leaving  home,  I  might  at  least  grow  up 
with  the  country." 

"But  you  didn't  grow,  after  all  ?" 

"No,  I  haven't  found  the  country  yet  that  can  make 
me  grow  up  with  it.  I  guess  I'll  have  to  be  satisfied 
with  being  a  plain  expansionist."  [Mr.  Wilder  is 
nearly  as  broad  as  he  is  long.] 

"How  did  you  happen  to  choose  the  amusement 
profession?"  I  asked. 

NATURE'S  LAW  OF  COMPENSATION. 
"I  was  always  a  good  mimic,"  he  replied,  "and  I 

373 


Marshall  P.  Wilder 

found  my  talents  lay  in  that  direction.  I  created  a 
new  business,  that  of  story-teller,  imitator  of  celebrated 
people,  and  of  sleight-of-hand  performer,  all  without 
the  aid  of  costumes,  depending  solely  on  my  facial  ex- 
pression to  give  point  to  the  humor.  Nature  had  cer- 
tainly tried  to  make  amends  for  her  frowns  by  giving 
me  facial  power, — the  power  to  smile  away  dull  care. 
There  is  a  niche  in  life  for  everyone,  a  place  where 
one  belongs.  Society  is  like  a  pack  of  cards.  Some 
members  of  it  are  kings  and  others  are  knaves,  while 
I, — I  discovered  that  I  was  the  little  joker." 

Mr.  Wilder  is  a  bubbling  fountain  of  wit,  whose 
whimsicalities  are  no  less  entertaining  to  himself  than 
to  his  hearers.  As  he  quaintly  expresses  it,  they  are 
"ripples  from  the  ocean  of  my  moods  which  have 
touched  the  shore  of  my  life."  His  disposition  is  so 
cheery  that  children  and  dogs  come  to  him  instantly. 
Eugene  Field  has  the  same  trait. 

HOW    HE    TOOK    JOSEPH    JEFFERSON'S    LIFE. 

His  first  appearance  on  any  stage  was  made  in  "Rip 
Van  Winkle,"  when  he  was  a  boy.  Joseph  Jefferson 
carried  him  on  his  back  as  a  dwarf.  The  great  "Rip" 
has  remained  his  steadfast  friend  ever  since.  Only  a 
few  years  ago,  Wilder  left  New  York  to  fulfil  a  church 
entertainment  engagement  in  Utica.  He  got  there  at 
three  in  the  afternoon.  Mr.  Jefferson's  private  car 
was  on  the  track,  containing  himself,  William  J. 
Florence,  Mrs.  John  Drew,  Viola  Allen,  and  Otis 

374 


Prince  of  Entertainers 

Skinner.  They  hailed  him  instantly  and  induced  him 
to  pass  the  afternoon  in  the  car  and  to  take  dinner  with 
them.  His  church  engagement  was  over  at  half  past 
eight,  and  at  Mr.  Jefferson's  invitation  he  occupied  a 
box  at  the  opera  house.  The  house  happened  to  be  a 
small  one,  while  the  church  had  been  crowded  to  the 
doors.  After  the  theater,  the  Jefferson  party  again 
entertained  the  humorist  in  the  car,  keeping  him  until 
his  train  left,  half  an  hour  after  midnight.  As  Mr. 
Wilder  was  leaving,  Mr.  Jefferson  pretended  to  get 
very  angry  and  said :  'What  do  you  think,  my  friends  ? 
Here  we  have  entertained  this  ungrateful  young  scamp 
all  the  afternoon,  and  invited  him  to  dinner.  Then  he 
goes  up  to  town  and  plays  to  a  big  audience,  leaving 
me  only  a  very  poor  house.  Then  he  comes  down  here, 
partakes  of  our  hospitality  again,  and  before  leaving 
takes  my  life!"  Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Mr. 
Jefferson  handed  the  young  man  a  copy  of  his  "Life 
and  Recollections." 

His  first  attempt  at  wit  was  at  a  little  church  in 
New  York,  where  he  was  one  of  the  audience.  A 
tableau  was  being  given  of  "Mary,  Queen  of  Scots," 
and  in  order  to  make  it  realistic  they  had  obtained  a 
genuine  butcher's  block  and  a  cleaver.  As  the  execu- 
tioner stood  by,  the  lights  all  turned  low,  and  his  dread- 
ful work  in  progress,  a  shrill  voice  arose  from  the 
darkened  house: — 

"Save  me  a  spare-rib." 

His  readiness  in  an  emergency  was  shown  at  Flint, 

375 


Marshall  P.  Wilder 

Michigan,  when  he  was  before  an  unresponsive  au- 
dience. As  luck  would  have  it,  the  gas  suddenly  went 
out. 

"Never  mind  the  gas,"  he  called  to  the  stage  man- 
ager." They  can  see  the  points  just  as  well  in  the 
dark."  After  that  he  was  en  rapport. 

The  greatest  gift  God  ever  made  to  man,  he  admitted 
to  me  in  strict  confidence,  is  the  ability  to  laugh  and  to 
make  his  fellowmen  laugh.  This  more  than  compen- 
sates, he  adds,  for  the  reception  he  gets  from  some  of 
the  cold  audiences  in  New  Jersey. 

I  asked  him  what  was  the  funniest  experience  he 
had  ever  had. 

"In  a  lodge  room  one  night  with  Nat  Goodwin,"  he 
replied.  "It  was,  or  ought  to  have  been,  a  solemn  oc- 
casion, but  there  was  a  German  present  who  couldn't 
repeat  the  obligation  backward.  Nat  stuffed  his  hand- 
kerchief into  his  mouth.  I  bit  my  lip  trying  to  keep 
from  laughing.  I  knew  what  an  awful  breach  of  de- 
corum it  would  be  if  we  ever  gave  way  to  our  feelings. 
We  had  almost  gained  perfect  control  of  ourselves, 
and  the  beautiful  and  impressive  ceremony  was  half 
over,  when  that  confounded  Dutchman  was  asked  once 
more  to  repeat  the  oath  backward.  He  made  such 
work  of  it  that  I  yelled  right  out,  while  Nat  had  a 
spasm  and  rolled  on  the  floor.  Did  they  put  us  out? 
Well,  I  guess  they  did.  It  took  seven  or  eight  apol- 
ogies to  get  us  back  into  that  lodge." 

Equally  funny  was  his  experience  in  London.     It 

376 


Prince  of  Entertainers 

was  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the  Ancient  and 
Honorable  Artillery,  of  Boston.  A  big  dinner  was  to 
be  given,  and  the  American  ambassador  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  were  to  be  there.  I  asked  Wilder  to  tell  me 
the  story  of  his  visit. 

"I  received  an  invitation,"  he  began,  "through  my 
friend,  B.  F.  Keith,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
and  Honorable  Artillery,  and  who  happened  to  be  in 
London.  The  uniforms  were  something  gorgeous. 
The  members  stood  in  two  long  lines,  awaiting  the 
coming  of  the  prince,  who  is  always  punctual.  I  was 
dressed  in  my  usual  boy-size  clothes,  a  small  American 
flag  stuck  in  my  Tuxedo  coat.  I  walked  around  rest- 
lessly. The  major-domo  was  a  very  grand  personage, 
with  a  bearskin  hat  on  one  end  and  long  boots  on  the 
other.  He  must  have  been  eight  or  ten  feet  high.  He 
chased  me  to  the  rear  of  the  room  several  times, — evi- 
dently not  knowing  who  I  was, — but  every  time  he 
turned  his  back  I  would  bob  out  again,  sometimes 
between  his  legs.  The  prince  came,  and  almost  the  first 
thing  he  did  was  to  walk  across  the  floor  to  me  and  say : 
'Hullo,  little  chap.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.'  I  had 
met  him  before.  Then  Henry  Irving  bore  down  on  me 
and  shook  my  hand,  and  so  did  Mr.  Depew  and  others. 
By  this  time  the  major-domo  had  shrunk  in  size. 

"Who  the  Dickens  is  that  little  chap,  anyway?"  he 
asked. 

"  'Sh !    He  belongs  to  the  American  army,'  was  the 

377 


Marshall  P.  Wilder 

answer.  'He's  a  great  marshal  or  something  over 
there!'" 

Wilder  is  big-hearted.  "The  biggest  fee  I  ever  re- 
ceived," he  stated  in  reply  to  my  inquiry,  "was  the 
satisfaction  I  saw  depicted  on  a  poor  man's  face.  It 
was  on  a  railway  train.  A  life-prisoner  was  being 
taken,  after  a  long  man-hunt  in  Europe  and  America, 
out  to  Kansas  City.  I  never  saw  so  dejected  a  face.  I 
devoted  four  or  five  hours  to  brightening  him  up,  and 
when  I  left  he  was  smiling  all  over.  I  had  succeeded 
in  making  him  forget  his  misery  for  at  least  four 
hours!" 

A  wealthy  gentleman  of  New  York  pays  Mr.  Wilder 
a  stated  sum  every  year  to  "cheer  up"  the  inmates  of 
hospitals  and  similar  institutions. 


378 


XXXVIII 

Energy    and    Earnestness    Win    an 
Actor  Fame. 

//^I[T  THO  will  play  the  part?"  asked  A.  M. 

\/\/      Palmer,   anxiously,   looking  over  the 

members   of   his  "Parisian  Romance" 

company  one  night  when  the  actor  who 

had  been  playing  '  Baron  Cheval '  failed  to  appear. 

"I  will,"  spoke  up  an  obscure  young  player,  a  serious, 
earnest  man  who  had  been  "utility"  for  the  company 
only  a  short  time. 

It  was  Richard  Mansfield,  and  the  part  was  given 
him.  It  had  not  been  a  conspicuous  part  up  to  that 
hour,  but  that  night  Mr.  Mansfield  made  it  a  leading 
one.  He  saw  in  it  opportunities  for  a  deeper  dramatic 
portrayal,  for  an  expression  of  intense  earnestness,  and 
for  that  finished  acting  which  ennobles  any  part  in  a 
play,  however  humble.  Before  the  performance  was 
over,  he  had  opened  the  eyes  of  the  company  and  the 
public  to  the  fact  that  a  new  actor  of  great  talent  had 
come  to  the  front  at  a  bound. 

In  his  beautiful  home  in  New  York,  the  other  day,  I 
found  him  surrounded  by  the  evidences  of  wealth  and 
artistic  taste. 

379 


Richard  Mansfield 

"So  you  represent  SUCCESS/  he  exclaimed.  "Well, 
I  am  pleased  to  have  you  call.  Success  pays  few  calls, 
you  know.  Ordinarily,  we  have  to  pursue  it  and  make 
great  efforts  to  keep  it  from  eluding  us." 

Mr.  Mansfield  made  this  remark  with  a  quizzical,  yet 
half-tired  smile,  as  if  he  had  himself  found  the  chase 
exhausting. 

HOW  TO  FIND  SUCCESS. 

"Yes,"  he  went  on,  "success  is  a  most  fleet-footed — 
almost  a  phantom — goddess.  You  pursue  her  eagerly 
and  seem  to  grasp  her,  and  then  you  see  her  speeding 
on  in  front  again.  This  is,  of  course,  because  one  is 
rarely  satisfied  with  present  success.  There  is  always 
something  yet  to  be  attained.  To  speak  personally,  I 
never  worked  harder  in  my  life  than  I  am  working  now. 
If  I  should  relax,  I  fear  that  the  structure  which  I  have 
built  up  would  come  tumbling  about  my  ears.  It  is  my 
desire  to  advance  my  standard  every  year, — to  plant  it 
higher  up  on  the  hill,  and  to  never  yield  a  foot  of 
ground.  This  requires  constant  effort.  I  find  my  re- 
ward, not  in  financial  returns,  for  these  are  hardly  com- 
mensurate with  the  outlay  of  labor ;  nor  in  the  applause 
of  others,  for  this  is  not  always  discriminative  or  judic- 
ious ;  but  in  the  practice  of  my  art.  This  suggests  what, 
it  seems  to  me,  is  the  true  secret  of  success. 

"Love  your  work ;  then  you  will  do  it  well.  It  is  its 
own  reward,  though  it  brings  others.  If  a  young  man 
would  rather  be  an  actor  than  anything  else,  and  he 

380 


Comedian 

knows  what  he  is  about,  let  him,  by  all  means,  be  an 
actor.  He  will  probably  become  a  good  one.  It  is  the 
same,  of  course,  in  many  occupations.  If  you  like  your 
work,  hold  on  to  it,  and  eventually  you  are  likely  to  win. 
If  you  don't  like  it,  you  can't  be  too  quick  in  getting 
into  something  that  suits  you  better." 

HE  BEGAN  AS  A  DRY  GOODS  CLERK. 

"I  began  as  a  dry  goods  clerk  in  Boston,  and  was  a 
very  mediocre  clerk.  Afterward  I  became  a  painter  in 
London,  and  was  starving  at  that.  Finally,  like  water, 
I  found  my  level  in  dramatic  art." 

The  thing  about  Mr.  Mansfield  which  most  inspires 
those  who  come  in  contact  with  him  is  his  wonderful 
store  of  nervous  energy.  It  communicates  itself  to 
others  and  makes  them  keen  for  work. 

"I  cannot  talk  with  him  five  minutes,"  said  his  busi- 
ness representative,  "before  I  want  to  grab  my  hat  and 
'hustle'  out  and  do  about  three  days'  work  without  stop- 
ping. For  persons  who  have  not,  or  cannot  absorb, 
some  of  his  own  electric  spirit,  he  has  little  use.  He  is 
a  living  embodiment  of  contagious  energy." 

His  performances  before  audiences  constitute  a  com- 
paratively small  portion  of  his  work.  It  is  in  his  elabor- 
ate and  painstaking  preparation  that  the  labor  is  in- 
volved, and  it  is  to  this — to  the  minute  preliminary  care 
that  he  gives  to  every  detail  of  a  production, — that  his 
fine  effects  and  achievements  before  the  footlights  are, 
in  considerable  measure,  due. 


Richard   Mansfield 


HE  GIVES  INFINITE  ATTENTION  TO  DETAIL. 

The  rehearsals  are  a  vital  part  of  the  preparatory 
work,  and  to  them  Mr.  Mansfield  has  devoted  a  great 
deal  of  time.  For  weeks,  between  the  hours  of  eleven 
in  the  morning  and  four  in  the  afternoon,  he  remains 
on  the  stage  with  his  company,  seated  in  a  line  four  or 
five  deep  on  either  side  of  him,  like  boys  and  girls  at 
school,  deeply  engrossed  in  impressing  upon  the  minds 
of  individual  members  of  the  company  his  own  ideas  of 
the  interpretation  and  presentation  of  the  various  parts. 
Again  and  again,  until  one  would  think  he  himself 
would  become  utterly  weary  of  the  repetition,  he  would 
have  an  actor  repeat  a  sentence.  Not  until  it  is  exactly 
right  is  Mr.  Mansfield  satisfied.  Nothing  escapes  his 
scrutiny.  At  dress  rehearsals  he  may  see,  to  mention  a 
typical  case,  a  tall  man  and  a  small  one  of  no  special  im- 
portance in  the  play  standing  together,  and  the  tall  one 
may  be  made  up  to  have  a  sallow  complexion  and 
beard.  Mr.  Mansfield  glances  at  them  quickly.  Some- 
thing is  wrong.  He  hastens  up  to  the  smaller  one  and 
suggests  that,  for  the  sake  of  contrast,  he  make  himself 
up  to  look  stout  and  to  have  a  smooth  face.  The  im- 
provement is  quite  noticeable.  Mr.  Mansfield  carefully 
notes  the  effect  of  light  and  shadow  on  the  scenery ;  and 
sometimes,  at  the  last  moment,  will  seize  the  brush  and 
add,  here  and  there,  a  heightening  or  a  softening  touch. 

An  incident  of  his  early  youth  will  tend  to  illustrate 
his  spirit  of  self-reliance.  His  mother  was  an  eminent 

382 


Comedian 

singer  who  frequently  appeared  before  royal  families  in 
Europe,  and  usually  had  little  Richard  with  her.  On 
one  occasion,  after  her  own  performance  before  royalty 
in  Germany,  the  little  Crown  Prince,  who  was  about  the 
same  age  as  Richard,  and  an  accomplished  boy,  played 
a  selection  on  the  piano,  and  played  it  well.  When  he 
had  left  the  piano,  the  company  was  very  much  sur- 
prised to  see  Master  Richard  Mansfield  take  his  place, 
without  an  invitation,  and  play  the  same  music,  but  in  a 
considerably  better  manner  than  had  the  Crown  Prince. 
When  the  boy  had  become  a  youth,  he  was  compelled  to 
support  himself;  and,  having  come  to  this  country,  he 
obtained  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  the  Jordan  &  Marsh 
establishment  in  Boston.  Meanwhile,  he  was  devoting 
all  his  spare  time  to  studying  painting.  He  afterward 
tried  to  make  a  living  at  it  in  London,  and  failed.  He 
was  finally  given  an  opportunity  as  a  comedian  in 
"Pinafore."  He  had  the  small  part  of  Joseph.  It  was 
but  a  short  time  afterward  when  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Mr.  Palmer  and  got  the  chance  of  his  lifetime. 


383 


XXXIX 

A    Father's   Common    Sense    Gives 
America  a  Great  Bandmaster. 

KIPLING  essayed  to  write  verses  at  thirteen,  and 
John  Philip  Sousa  entered  his  apprenticeship 
in  a  military  band  at  the  age  of  twelve.  The 
circumstances,  which  he  related  to  me  during 
a  recent  conversation,  make  it  clear,  however,  that  it 
was  not  exactly  the  realization  of  any  youthful  ambi- 
tion. "When  I  was  a  youngster  of  twelve,"  said  the 
bandmaster,  "I  could  play  the  violin  fairly  well.  It  was 
in  this  memorable  year  that  a  circus  came  to  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  where  I  then  lived,  and  remained  for  two 
days.  During  the  morning  of  the  first  day,  one  of  the 
showmen  passed  the  house  and  heard  me  playing.  He 
rang  the  bell,  and  when  I  answered  it,  asked  if  I  would 
not  like  to  join  the  show.  I  was  at  the  age  when  it  is 
the  height  of  every  boy's  ambition  to  join  a  circus,  and 
was  so  delighted  that  I  readily  agreed  to  his  instruc- 
tions that  I  was  to  take  my  violin,  and,  without  telling 
anyone,  go  quietly  to  the  show  grounds  late  the  next 
evening. 

"I  couldn't,  however,  keep  this  stroke  of  good  fortune 
entirely  to  myself,  so  I  confided  it  to  my  chum,  who 

384 


The  "  March  King  " 

lived  next  door.  The  effect  was  entirely  unanticipated. 
He  straightway  became  so  jealous  at  the  thought  that  I 
would  have  an  opportunity  to  witness  the  circus  per- 
formance free  that  he  told  his  mother,  and  that  good 
woman  promptly  laid  the  whole  matter  before  my 
father." 

IN  THE  MARINE  BAND. 

"At  the  time  I  was,  of  course,  ignorant  of  this  turn  of 
affairs ;  but  early  the  next  morning  my  father,  without 
a  word  of  explanation,  told  me  to  put  on  my  best 
clothes,  and,  without  ceremony,  bundled  me  down  to  the 
office  of  the  Marine  Band,  where  he  entered  me  as  an 
apprentice.  The  age  limit  at  which  admission  could  be 
gained  to  the  band  corps  was  fourteen  years,  and  I  have 
always  retained  the  two  years  which  my  father  uncere- 
moniously added  to  my  age  at  that  time." 

Sousa  is  of  Spanish  descent,  his  father  having  emi- 
grated from  Spain  to  Portugal  by  reason  of  political 
entanglements.  Thence  came  the  strange  fact  that, 
during  the  recent  war,  American  troops  marched  for- 
ward to  attack  Spaniards  to  the  music  of  marches  writ- 
ten by  this  descendant  of  their  race.  The  director's 
remark  that  his  family  was  one  of  the  oldest  in  Spain 
was  supplementary  to  an  amused  denial  of  that  pretty 
story  which  has  been  so  widely  circulated  to  the  effect 
that  the  bandmaster's  name  was  originally  John 
Philipso,  and  that  when,  after  entering  the  Marine 
Band,  he  signed  it  with  the  "U.  S.  A."  appended,  some 
intelligent  clerk  divided  it  into  John  Philip  Sousa. 

385 


John  Philip  Sousa 

HIS  FIRST  SUCCESSFUL  WORK. 

In  discussing  his  opera,  "El  Capitan,"  which,  when 
produced  by  De  Wolf  Hopper  several  seasons  ago, 
achieved  such  instantaneous  success,  the  composer  re- 
marked that  it  was  the  sixth  opera  he  had  written,  the 
others  never  reaching  the  dignity  of  a  production. 

As  Sousa  is  preeminently  a  man  of  action,  so  his 
career  and  characteristics  are  best  outlined  by  incidents. 
One  in  connection  with  his  operatic  composition  strik- 
ingly illustrates  his  pluck  and  determination.  Before 
he  attained  any  great  degree  of  prominence  in  the  musi- 
cal world,  Sousa  submitted  an  opera  to  Francis  Wilson, 
offering  to  sell  it  outright  for  one  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  Wilson  liked  the  opera,  but  the  composer  was 
not  fortified  by  a  great  name,  so  he  declined  to  pay  more 
than  one  thousand  dollars  for  the  piece.  The  composer 
replied  that  he  had  spent  the  best  part  of  a  year  on  the 
work,  and  felt  that  he  could  not  take  less  than  his  origi- 
nal demand.  Wilson  was  obdurate,  and  Sousa  ruefully 
put  the  manuscript  back  into  his  portfolio. 

Some  time  afterward  a  march  which  the  bandmaster 
sent  to  a  well-known  publishing  house  caught  the  public 
favor.  The  publishers  demanded  another  at  once.  The 
composer  had  none  at  hand,  but  suddenly  thought  of 
the  march  in  his  discarded  opera,  and  forwarded  it 
without  waiting  to  select  a  name. 

While  he  was  pondering  thoughtfully  on  the  subject 
of  a  title,  Sousa  and  a  friend  one  evening  went  to  the 

386 


The  "March  King" 

Auditorium  in  Chicago,  where  "America"  was  then 
being  presented.  When  the  mammoth  drop  curtain, 
with  the  painted  representation  of  the  Liberty  Bell  was 
lowered,  the  bandmaster's  companion  said,  with  the 
suddenness  of  an  inspiration :  "There  is  a  name  for 
your  new  march."  That  night  it  was  sent  on  to  the 
publishers. 

Up  to  date,  this  one  selection  from  the  opera  for 
which  Francis  Wilson  refused  to  pay  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  has  netted  its  composer  thirty-five  thousand 
dollars. 

A    MAN    WHO    NEVER   RESTS. 

Sousa  has  practically  no  vacations.  Throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  autumn,  winter  and  spring,  his  band 
is  en  tour  through  this  country  and  Canada,  giving,  as 
a  rule,  two  concerts  each  day,  usually  in  different  towns. 
During  the  summer,  his  time  is  occupied  with  daily 
concerts  at  Manhattan  Beach,  near  New  York.  De- 
spite all  this,  he  finds  time  to  write  several  marches  or 
other  musical  selections  each  year,  and  for  several  years 
past  has  averaged  each  year  an  operatic  production. 
Any  person  who  is  at  all  conversant  with  the  subject 
knows  that  the  composition  of  the  opera  itself  is  only 
the  beginning  of  the  composer's  labor,  and  Sousa  has 
invariably  directed  the  rehearsals  with  all  the  thorough- 
ness and  attention  to  detail  that  might  be  expected  from 
a  less  busy  man. 

The  bandmaster  is  a  late  riser,  and  in  that,  as  in  other 
details,  the  routine  of  his  daily  life  is  the  embodiment  of 

387 


John  Philip  Sousa 

regularity  and  punctuality.  In  reply  to  my  question  as 
to  what  produces  his  never-failing  good  health,  he  said : 
"Absolute  regularity  of  life,  plenty  of  sleep,  and  good, 
plain,  substantial  food." 

His  idea  of  the  most  valuable  aids,  if  not  essentials  to 
success,  may  be  imagined.  They  are  "persistence  and 
hard  work."  The  "March  King"  believes  that  it  is  only 
worry,  and  not  hard  work,  that  kills  people,  and  he  also 
has  confidence  that  if  there  be  no  literal  truth  in  the 
assertion  that  genius  is  simply  another  name  for  hard 
work,  there  is  at  least  much  of  wisdom  in  the  saying. 

Many  persons  who  have  seen  Sousa  direct  his  organi- 
zation make  the  assertion  that  the  orders  conveyed  by 
his  baton  are  non-essential, — that  the  band  would  be 
equally  well-off  without  Sousa.  This  never  received  a 
fuller  refutation  than  during  a  recent  concert  in  an 
eastern  city.  Two  small  boys  in  seats  near  the  front 
of  the  hall  were  tittering,  but  so  quietly  that  it  would 
hardly  seem  possible  that  it  could  be  noticed  on  the 
stage,  especially  by  the  bandmaster,  whose  back  was,  of 
course,  toward  the  audience.  Suddenly,  in  the  middle 
of  a  bar,  his  baton  fell.  Instantly,  every  sound  ceased, 
not  a  note  having  been  sounded  after  the  signal,  which 
could  not  have  been  anticipated,  was  given.  Wheeling 
quickly,  the  leader  ordered  the  troublesome  youngsters 
to  leave  the  hall,  and  almost  before  the  audience  had 
realized  what  had  happened,  the  great  organization  had 
resumed  the  rendition  of  the  selection,  without  the  loss 
of  a  chord. 

388 


The  "  March  King  " 

HOW   SOUSA   WORKS. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiry  as  to  his  methods  of  work, 
the  director  of  America's  foremost  band  said : — 

"I  think  that  any  musical  composer  must  essentially 
find  his  periods  of  work  governed  largely  by  inspira- 
tion. A  march  or  a  waltz  depends  perhaps  upon  some 
strain  that  has  sufficient  melody  to  carry  the  entire  com- 
position, and  it  is  the  waiting  to  catch  this  embryo  note 
that  is  sometimes  long. 

"Take  my  experience  with  '  The  Stars  and  Stripes 
Forever.'  I  worked  for  weeks  on  the  strain  that  I  think 
will  impress  most  persons  as  the  prettiest  in  the  march. 
I  carried  it  in  my  mind  all  that  time,  but  I  could  not  get 
the  idea  transferred  to  paper  just  as  I  wanted.  When 
I  did  accomplish  it,  there  was  comparatively  little  delay 
with  the  remainder." 

When  I  asked  him  about  his  future  work,  Mr.  Sousa 
said : — 

"I  of  course  have  commissions  to  write  several 
operas,  and  I  am  at  work  on  a  musical  composition 
which  I  hope  to  make  the  best  thing  that  I  have  ever 
attempted." 

His  temperament  is  well  illustrated  by  an  incident  on 
a  western  railroad.  The  Sousa  organization,  which 
had  been  playing  in  one  of  the  larger  cities,  desired  to 
reach  a  small  town  in  time  for  a  matinee  performance, 
but,  owing  to  the  narrow  policy  of  the  railway  officials, 

389 


John  Philip  Sousa 

the  bandmaster  was  obliged  to  engage  a  special  train,  at 
a  cost  of  $175. 

In  the  railway  yard  stood  the  private  coach  of  the 
president  of  the  system,  and  just  before  the  Sousa  train 
pulled  out,  the  discovery  was  made  that  the  regular 
train,  to  which  it  had  been  intended  to  attach  the  presi- 
dent's car,  was  three  hours  late.  A  request  was  made 
of  the  bandmaster  that  he  allow  the  car  to  be  attached 
to  his  train ;  but  Sousa,  with  that  twinkle  in  his  eye 
which  every  person  who  has  seen  him  must  have  no- 
ticed, simply  smiled,  and,  with  the  most  extravagant 
politeness,  replied:  "I  am  sorry,  gentlemen,  but,  having 
chartered  this  train  for  my  especial  use,  I  am  afraid  I 
shall  have  to  limit  its  use  to  that  purpose." 


390 


XL 

Blind,  Deaf,  and  Dumb,  Patient  Ef- 
fort Wins  for  Her  Culture  and 
Rare  Womanhood. 

f  f  T    AM  trying  to  prove  that  the  sum  of  the  areas 

of  two  similar  polygons,  constructed  on  the 

•*•    two  legs  of  a  right  triangle,  is  equal  to  the 

area  of  a  similar  polygon  constructed  on  the 

hypotenuse.    It  is  a  very  difficult  demonstration,"  she 

added,  and  her  expressive  face,  on  which  every  passing 

emotion  is  plainly  written,  looked  serious  for  a  moment, 

as  she  laid  her  hand  upon  the  work  about  which  I  had 

asked. 

Helen  Keller,  the  deaf  and  blind  girl,  whose  intellec- 
tual attainments  have  excited  the  wonder  and  admira- 
tion of  our  most  prominent  educators,  is  well  known  to 
all  readers,  but  Helen  Keller,  the  blithesome,  rosy- 
cheeked,  light-hearted  maiden  of  nineteen,  whose  smile 
is  a  benediction,  and  whose  ringing  laugh  is  fresh  and 
joyous  as  that  of  a  child,  is  not,  perhaps,  so  familiar. 

HELEN  KELLER  AT  HOME. 

By  kind  permission  of  her  teacher,  Miss  Sullivan,  I 
was  granted  the  privilege  of  an  interview  with  Miss 

391 


Helen  Keller 

Keller  at  her  residence  on  Newbury  street,  Boston, 
where  she  was  busily  at  work  preparing  for  the  en- 
trance examinations  to  Radcliffe  College. 

After  a  cordial  greeting,  Miss  Sullivan,  whose  gra- 
cious, kindly  manner  makes  the  visitor  feel  perfectly  at 
home,  introduced  me  to  her  pupil.  Seated  on  a  low 
rocking-chair,  in  a  large,  sunny  bay-window,  the  young 
girl,  fresh  as  the  morning,  in  her  dainty  pink  shirt-waist 
over  a  dress  of  plain,  dark  material,  with  the  sunshine 
glinting  through  her  waving  brown  hair,  and  kissing 
her  broad  white  forehead  and  pink  cheeks,  made  a  pic- 
ture which  one  will  not  willingly  forget.  On  her  lap 
was  a  small  red  cushion,  to  which  wires,  representing 
the  geometrical  figures  included  in  the  problem  on 
which  she  was  engaged,  were  fastened.  Laying  this 
aside  at  a  touch  from  Miss  Sullivan,  she  arose,  and, 
stretching  out  her  hand,  pronounced  my  name  softly, 
with  a  peculiar  intonation,  which  at  first  makes  it  a  little 
difficult  to  understand  her  words,  but  to  which  the 
listener  soon  becomes  accustomed.  Of  course,  her 
teacher  acted  as  an  interpreter  during  our  conversation, 
though  much  of  what  Helen  says  is  perfectly  intelligible 
even  to  the  untrained  ear. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "it  is  a  very  difficult  problem,  but  I 
have  a  little  light  on  it  now." 

HER   AMBITION. 

"What  will  your  ambition  be  when  your  college 
course  is  completed  ?"  I  asked. 

392 


Student  and  Writer 

"I  think  I  should  like  to  write, — for  children.  I  tell 
stories  to  my  little  friends  a  great  deal  of  the  time  now, 
but  they  are  not  original, — not  yet.  Most  of  them  are 
translations  from  the  Greek,  and  I  think  no  one  can 
write  anything  prettier  for  the  young.  Charles  Kings- 
ley  has  written  some  equally  good  things,  like  'Water 
Babies,'  for  instance.  'Alice  in  Wonderland'  is  a  fine 
story,  too,  but  none  of  them  can  surpass  the  Greek 
tales." 

Many  of  our  advanced  thinkers  are  fond  of  advanc- 
ing the  theory  that  the  medium  of  communication  in 
the  future  will  not  be  spoken  words,  but  the  more  subtle 
and  genuine,  if  mute,  language  of  the  face,  the  eyes,  the 
whole  body.  Sarah  Bernhardt  forcibly  illustrates  the 
effectiveness  of  this  method,  for  even  those  who  do  not 
understand  a  word  of  French  derive  nearly  as  much 
pleasure  from  the  great  actress's  performances  as  those 
who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  language.  Helen 
Keller's  dramatic  power  of  expression  is  equally  telling. 

She  is  enthusiastic  in  her  admiration  of  everything 
Greek.  The  language,  the  literature,  the  arts,  the  his- 
tory of  the  classic  land  fascinate  and  enthrall  her 
imagination. 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  exclaimed,  eagerly,  in  answer  to  my 
query  if  she  expected  to  go  to  Greece  sometime,  "it  is 
one  of  my  air  castles.  Ever  since  I  was  as  tall  as  that," 
(she  held  her  hand  a  short  distance  from  the  floor)  "I 
have  dreamed  about  it." 

393 


Helen  Keller 

"Do  you  believe  the  dream  will  some  day  become  a 
reality?" 

"I  hope  so,  but  I  dare  not  be  too  sure," — and  the 
sober  words  of  wisdom,  that  followed  sounded  oddly 
enough  on  the  girlish  lips, — "the  world  is  full  of  disap- 
pointments and  vicissitudes,  and  I  have  to  be  a  little 
conservative." 

"Which  of  your  studies  interest  you  most?" 

"Latin  and  Greek.  I  am  reading  now  Virgil's 
'Eclogues,'  Cicero's  'Orations,'  Homer's  'Iliad'  and 
'Odyssey/  "  she  said,  and  ran  rapidly  over  a  list  of 
classic  books  which  she  likes. 

Her  readiness  to  perceive  a  joke  and  her  quickness  to 
detect  the  least  carelessness  in  language  are  distinguish- 
ing traits,  which  she  illustrated  even  during  our  brief 
conversation.  Commenting  on  her  love  of  everything 
pertaining  to  Greece,  I  remarked  that  a  believer  in  the 
doctrine  of  metempsychosis  might  imagine  that  she  pos- 
sessed the  soul  of  an  old  Greek.  Instantly  she  noticed 
the  little  slip,  and,  laughing  gayly,  cried :  "Oh,  no,  not 
the  soul  of  an  old  Greek,  the  soul  of  a  young  Greek." 

Helen's  merriment  was  infectious,  and  we  all  joined 
heartily  in  the  laugh,  Miss  Sullivan  saying, "She  caught 
you  there,"  as  I  was  endeavoring  to  explain  that,  of 
course,  I  meant  the  soul  of  an  ancient  Greek. 

While  taking  so  deep  an  interest  in  matters  intellec- 
tual, and  living  in  a  world  of  her  own,  penetrated  by  no 
outward  sight  or  sound,  Miss  Keller's  tastes  are  as  nor- 
mal as  those  of  any  girl  of  nineteen.  She  is  full  of 

394 


Student  and  Writer 

animal  spirit,  dearly  loves  a  practical  joke,  is  fond  of 
dancing,  enjoys  outside  exercise  and  sport,  and  has  the 
natural  desire  of  every  healthy  young  maiden  to  wear 
pretty  things  and  look  her  best. 

In  answer  to  a  question  on  this  latter  subject,  she 
said : — 

"I  used  to  be  very  fond  of  dress,  but  now  I  am  not 
particularly  so ;  it  is  such  a  bother.  We  ought  to  like 
dress,  though,  and  wear  pretty  things,  just  as  the 
flowers  put  on  beautiful  colors.  It  would  be  fine,"  she 
continued,  laughing  gleefully,  "if  we  were  made  with 
feathers  and  wings,  like  the  birds.  Then  we  would 
have  no  trouble  about  dress,  and  we  could  fly  where  we 
pleased." 

"You  would  fly  to  Greece,  first,  I  suppose  ?" 

"No,"  she  replied,  and  her  laughing  face  took  on  a 
tender,  wistful  look,  "I  should  go  home  first,  to  see  my 
loved  ones." 

HEREDITY   AND   CHILDHOOD. 

Miss  Keller's  home  is  at  Tuscumbia,  Alabama,  where 
she  was  born  on  June  27, 1880.  Some  of  the  best  blood 
of  both  the  north  and  the  south  flows  in  her  veins,  and 
it  is  probable  that  her  uncommon  mental  powers  are  in 
no  small  degree  due  to  heredity.  Her  father,  Arthur  H. 
Keller,  a  polished  southern  gentleman,  with  a  large, 
chivalrous  nature,  fine  intelligence  and  attractive  man- 
ners, was  the  descendant  of  a  family  of  Swiss  origin, 
which  had  settled  in  Virginia  and  mixed  with  some  of 
the  oldest  families  in  that  state.  He  served  as  a  cap- 


Helen  Keller 

tain  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  Civil  War,  and, 
at  the  time  of  Helen's  birth,  was  the  owner  and  editor 
of  a  paper  published  at  Tuscumbia.  On  the  maternal 
side  she  is  descended  from  one  of  the  Adams  families 
of  Massachusetts,  and  the  same  stock  of  Everetts  from 
which  Edward  Everett  and  Reverend  Edward  Everett 
Hale  sprang. 

Helen  Keller  was  not  born  deaf  and  blind,  although, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  months,  when  a  violent  fit  of 
convulsions  deprived  her  of  the  faculties  of  seeing  and 
hearing,  she  had  not  attempted  to  speak.  When  a  child, 
she  was  as  notable  for  her  stubbornness  and  resistance 
to  authority  as  she  is  to-day  for  her  gentleness  and 
amiability.  Indeed,  it  was  owing  to  an  exhibition  of 
what  seemed  a  very  mischievous  spirit  that  her  parents 
sought  a  special  instructor  for  her.  Having  discovered 
the  use  of  a  key,  she  locked  her  mother  into  a  pantry  in 
a  distant  part  of  the  house,  where,  her  hammering  on 
the  door  not  being  heard  by  the  servants,  she  remained 
imprisoned  for  several  hours.  Helen,  seated  on  the 
floor  outside,  felt  the  knocking  on  the  door,  and  seemed 
to  be  enjoying  the  situation  intensely  when  at  length 
jailer  and  prisoner  were  found.  She  was  then  about 
six  years  old,  and,  after  this  escapade,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Keller  felt  that  the  child's  moral  nature  must  be  reached 
and  her  mental  powers  cultivated,  if  possible. 

HELEN'S  FIRST  TEACHER. 
On  the  recommendation  of  Dr.  Alexander  Graham 

396 


Student  and  Writer 

Bell,  inventor  of  the  telephone,  Michael  Anagnos,  direc- 
tor of  the  Perkins  Institute  for  the  Blind  at  South  Bos- 
ton, sent  Miss  Annie  Mansfield  Sullivan  to  Tuscumbia 
to  undertake  the  difficult  task  of  piercing  the  veil  behind 
which  the  intelligence  of  the  little  girl  lay  sleeping. 
How  well  this  noble  and  devoted  teacher  has  succeeded 
in  her  work  is  amply  evidenced  by  the  brilliancy  and 
thoroughness  of  her  pupil's  attainments. 

Miss  Sullivan's  method  of  instruction  was  similar  to 
that  adopted  by  Dr.  Samuel  G.  Howe  in  teaching  Laura 
Bridgman.  She  used  the  manual  alphabet,  and  cards 
bearing,  in  raised  letters,  the  names  of  objects.  At  first, 
the  pupil  violently  resisted  the  teacher's  efforts  to  in- 
struct her,  and  so  determined  was  her  opposition,  Miss 
Sullivan  declares,  that,  if  she  had  not  exercised  physical 
force  and  a  determination  even  more  strenuous  than 
thar  of  her  refractory  pupil,  she  would  never  have  suc- 
ceeded in  teaching  her  anything.  Night  and  day  she 
was  at  her  side,  watching  for  the  first  gleam  of  con- 
scious mind ;  and  at  length,  after  seven  weeks  of  what 
she  says  was  the  hardest  work  she  had  ever  done,  the 
faithful  teacher  received  her  reward  in  the  sudden 
dawning  of  the  child's  intelligence.  All  at  once,  the 
light  seemed  to  burst  in  upon  her  wondering  soul ;  she 
understood  then  that  the  raised  letters  which  she  felt 
on  the  cards  and  the  groups  of  manual  signs  on  her 
hands,  represented  words,  or  the  names  of  familiar 
objects.  The  delight  of  the  pupil  and  teacher  was  un- 
bounded, and  from  that  moment  Helen's  education, 

397 


Helen  Keller 

though  still  demanding  the  greatest  patience  and  loving 
care  on  the  part  of  her  teacher,  was  a  comparatively 
easy  matter. 

With  the  awakening  of  her  intellectual  faculties,  she 
seemed  literally  to  have  been  "born  again."  The  stub- 
born, headstrong,  self-willed,  almost  unmanageable 
child  became  patient,  gentle  and  obedient ;  and,  instead 
of  resisting  instruction,  her  eagerness  to  learn  was  so 
great  that  it  had  to  be  restrained.  So  rapid  was  her 
progress  that,  in  a  few  weeks,  anyone  who  knew  the 
manual  alphabet  could  easily  communicate  with  her, 
and  in  July,  1887,  less  than  a  year  from  the  time  Miss 
Sullivan  first  saw  her,  she  could  write  an  intelligent 
letter. 

PREPARING  FOR  COLLEGE. 

In  September,  1896,  accompanied  by  her  teacher, 
Miss  Keller  entered  the  Cambridge  School  for  Girls,  to 
prepare  for  Radcliffe  College,  and  in  June,  1897,  passed 
the  examinations  of  the  first  preparatory  year  success- 
fully in  every  subject,  taking  "honors"  in  English  and 
German.  The  director  of  the  school,  Arthur  Gilman, 
in  an  article  in  "American  Annals  of  the  Deaf,"  says : 
"I  think  that  I  may  say  that  no  candidate  in  Harvard 
or  Radcliffe  College  was  graduated  higher  than  Helen 
in  English.  The  result  is  remarkable,  especially  when 
we  consider  that  she  had  been  studying  on  strictly  col- 
lege preparatory  lines  for  one  year  only.  She  had,  it  is 
true,  long  and  careful  instruction,  and  she  has  had 

398 


Student  and  Writer 

always  the  loving  ministration  of  Miss  Sullivan,  in 
addition  to  the  inestimable  advantage  of  a  concentra- 
tion that  the  rest  of  us  never  know.  -No  other,  man  or 
woman,"  he  adds,  "has  ever,  in  my  experience,  got 
ready  for  those  examinations  in  so  brief  a  time." 

Mr.  Oilman,  in  the  same  article,  pays  the  following 
well-deserved  tribute  to  Miss  Sullivan,  whose  work  is 
as  worthy  of  admiration  as  that  of  her  pupil : — 

"Miss  Sullivan  sat  at  Helen's  side  in  the  classes  (in 
the  Cambridge  School),  interpreting  to  her,  with  infi- 
nite patience,  the  instruction  of  every  teacher.  In  study 
hours,  Miss  Sullivan's  labors  were  even  more  arduous, 
for  she  was  obliged  to  read  everything  that  Helen  had 
to  learn,  excepting  what  was  prepared  in  Braille;  she 
searched  the  lexicons  and  encyclopedias,  and  gave 
Helen  the  benefit  of  it  all.  When  Helen  went  home, 
Miss  Sullivan  went  with  her,  and  it  was  hers  to  satisfy 
the  busy,  unintermitting  demands  of  the  intensely  active 
brain;  for,  although  others  gladly  helped,  there  were 
many  matters  which  could  be  treated  only  by  the  one 
teacher  who  had  awakened  the  activity  and  had  fol- 
lowed its  development  from  the  first.  Now,  it  was  a 
German  grammar  which  had  to  be  read,  now  a  French 
story,  and  then  some  passage  from  'Caesar's  Commen- 
taries.' It  looked  like  drudgery,  and  drudgery  it  would 
certainly  have  been  had  not  love  shed  its  benign  influ- 
ence over  all,  lightening  each  step  and  turning  hardship 
into  pleasure." 

Miss  Keller  is  very  patriotic,  but  large  and  liberal  in 

399 


Helen  Keller 

her  ideas,  which  soar  far  beyond  all  narrow,  partisan  or 
political  prejudices.  Her  sympathies  are  with  the 
masses,  the  burden-bearers,  and,  like  all  friends  of  the 
people  and  of  universal  progress,  she  was  intensely 
interested  in  the  Peace  Congress. 

Speaking  on  the  subject,  she  said:  "I  hope  the 
nations  will  carry  out  the  project  of  disarmament.  I 
wonder  which  nation  will  be  brave  enough  to  lay  down 
its  arms  first !" 

"Don't  you  hope  it  will  be  America  ?" 

"Yes,  I  hope  so,  but  I  do  not  think  it  will.  We  are 
only  just  beginning  to  fight  now,"  she  went  on,  sagely, 
"and  I  am  afraid  we  like  it.  I  think  it  will  be  one  of 
the  old,  experienced  nations,  that  has  had  enough  of 
war  " 

HER  IDEAL  OF  A  SUCCESSFUL  CAREER. 

I  asked  Miss  Keller  what  she  considers  most  essential 
to  a  successful  career. 

She  thought  a  moment,  and  then  replied,  slowly, 
"Patience,  perseverance  and  fidelity." 

"And  what  do  you  look  upon  as  the  most  desirable 
thing  in  life?" 

"Friends,"  was  the  prompt  reply  to  this  broad  general 
question;  and,  as  she  uttered  the  word,  she  nestled 
closely  to  the  friend  who  has  so  long  been  all  in  all 
to  her. 

"What  about  material  possessions?"  I  asked;  "for 
instance,  which  would  you  place  first, — wealth  or  edu- 
cation?" 

400 


Student  and  Writer 

"Education.  A  good  education  is  a  stepping-stone 
to  wealth.  But  that  does  not  imply  that  I  want  wealth. 
It  is  such  a  care.  It  would  be  worse  than  dressing. 
'Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches,  but  give  me  con- 
tentment/ "  she  quoted,  with  a  smile. 

The  future  of  this  most  interesting  girl  will  be  fol- 
lowed with  closest  attention  by  educators,  psychologists, 
and  the  public  generally.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the 
time  and  care  spent  on  her  education  will  be  amply 
justified ;  and  that  she  will  personally  illustrate  her  own 
ideal  of  a  successful  career, — "To  live  nobly ;  to  be  true 
to  one's  best  aspirations," — is  the  belief  of  all  who 
know  her. 


401 


XLI 

Jay  Gould's  Chum  Chooses  "High 
Thinking,  not  Money  Making," 
and  Wins  Success  Without  Riches. 

WHEN  I  visited  the  hill-top  retreat  of  John 
Burroughs,  the  distinguished  lover  of  na- 
ture, at  West  Park,  New  York,  it  was  with 
the  feeling  that  all  success  is  not  material ; 
that  mere  dollars  are  nothing,  and  that  the  influential 
man  is  the  successful  man,  whether  he  be  rich  or  poor. 
John  Burroughs  is  unquestionably  both  influential  and 
poor.  On  the  wooden  porch  of  his  little  bark-covered 
cabin  I  waited,  one  June  afternoon,  until  he  should 
come  back  from  the  woods  and  fields,  where  he  had 
gone  for  a  ramble.  It  was  so  still  that  the  sound  of 
my  rocker  moving  to  and  fro  on  the  rough  boards  of 
the  little  porch  seemed  to  shock  the  perfect  quiet.  From 
afar  off  came  the  plaintive  cry  of  a  wood-dove,  and 
then  all  was  still  again.  Presently  the  interpreter  of 
out-door  life  appeared  in  the  distance,  and,  seeing  a 
stranger  at  his  door,  hurried  homeward.  He  was  with- 
out coat  or  vest,  and  looked  cool  in  his  white  outing 
shirt  and  large  straw  hat.  After  some  formalities  of 

402 


The  Poet-Naturalist 

introduction,  we  reached  the  subject  which  I  had  called 
to  discuss,  and  he  said : — 

"It  is  not  customary  to  interview  men  of  my  voca- 
tion concerning  success." 

"Any  one  who  has  made  a  lasting  impression  on  the 
,  minds  of  his  contemporaries,"  I  began,  "and  influenced 
men  and  women " 

"Do  you  refer  to  me  ?"  he  interrupted,  naively. 

DIFFERENT  WAYS  OF  BEING  SUCCESSFUL. 

I  nodded  and  he  laughed.  "I  have  not  endowed  a 
university  nor  made  a  fortune,  nor  conquered  an  enemy 
in  battle,"  he  said. 

"And  those  who  have  done  such  things  have  not  writ- 
ten 'Locusts  and  Wild  Honey'  and  'Wake,  Robin.' " 

"I  recognize,"  he  said,  quietly,  "that  success  is  not 
always  where  people  think  it  is.  There  are  many  ways 
of  being  successful,  and  I  do  not  approve  of  the  mis- 
take which  causes  many  to  consider  that  a  great  for- 
tune acquired  means  a  great  success  achieved.  On  the 
contrary,  our  greatest  men  need  very  little  money  to 
accomplish  the  greatest  work." 

"I  thought  that  anyone  leading  a  life  so  wholly  at 
variance  with  the  ordinary  ideas  and  customs  would 
see  success  in  life  from  a  different  point  of  view,"  I  ob- 
served. "Money  is  really  no  object  with  you?" 

"The  subject  of  wealth  never  disturbs  me." 

"You  lead  a  very  simple  life  here?" 

"Such  as  you  see." 

403 


John  Burroughs 

The  sight  would  impress  anyone.  So  far  is  this  dis- 
ciple of  nature  away  from  the  ordinary  mode  of  the 
world  that  his  little  cabin,  set  in  the  cup-shaped  top  of 
a  hill,  is  practically  bare  of  luxuries  and  the  so-called 
comforts  of  life.  His  surroundings  are  of  the  rudest, 
the  very  rocks  and  bushes  encroaching  upon  his  back 
door.  All  about,  the  crest  of  the  hill  encircles  him, 
and  shuts  out  the  world.  Only  the  birds  of  the  air  ven- 
ture to  invade  his  retreat  from  the  various  sides  of  the 
mountain,  and  there  is  only  a  straggling,  narrow  path, 
which  branches  off  a  dozen  times  before  it  takes  the 
true  direction.  In  his  house  are  no  decorations  but 
such  as  can  be  hung  upon  the  exposed  wood.  The  fire- 
place is  of  brick,  and  quite  wide ;  the  floor,  rough 
boards  scrubbed  white;  the  ceiling,  a  rough  array  of 
exposed  rafters,  and  his  bed  a  rudely  constructed  work 
of  the  hand.  Very  few  and  very  simple  chairs,  a  plain 
table  and  some  shelves  for  books  made  the  wealth  of 
the  retreat  and  serve  for  his  ordinary  use. 

"Many  people  think,"  I  said,  "that  your  method  of 
living  is  an  ideal  example  of  the  way  people  ought  to 
live." 

"There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  that.  A  great  many 
people  are  very  weary  of  the  way  they  think  them- 
selves compelled  to  live.  They  are  mistaken  in  believ- 
ing that  the  disagreeable  things  they  find  themselves 
doing,  are  the  things  they  ought  to  do.  A  great  many 
take  their  idea  of  a  proper  aim  in  life  from  what  other 
people  say  and  do.  Consequently,  they  are  unhappy, 

404 


The  Poet-Naturalist 

and  an  independent  existence  such  as  mine  strikes  them 
as  ideal.    As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  very  natural." 

A  WORTHY  AIM  IN  LIFE. 

"Would  you  say  that  to  work  so  as  to  be  able  to  live 
like  this  should  be  the  aim  of  a  young  man  ?" 

"By  no  means.  On  the  contrary,  his  aim  should  be 
to  live  in  such  a  way  as  will  give  his  mind  the  greatest 
freedom  and  peace.  This  can  be  very  often  obtained 
by  wanting  less  of  material  things  and  more  of  intellec- 
tual ones.  A  man  who  achieved  such  an  aim  would 
be  as  well  oft"  as  the  most  distinguished  man  in  any 
field.  Money-getting  is  half  a  mania,  and  some  other 
4  getting '  propensities  are  manias  also.  The  man  who 
gets  content  comes  nearest  to  being  reasonable." 

"I  should  like,"  I  said,  "to  illustrate  your  point  of 
view  from  the  details  of  your  own  life." 

"Students  of  nature  do  not,  as  a  rule,  have  eventful 
lives.  I  was  born  in  Roxbury,  New  York,  in  1837. 
That  was  a  time  when  conditions  were  rather  primitive. 
My  father  was  a  farmer,  and  I  was  raised  among  the 
woods  and  fields.  I  came  from  an  uncultivated,  un- 
reading  class  of  society,  and  grew  up  amid  surround- 
ings the  least  calculated  to  awaken  the  literary  faculty. 
Yet  I  have  no  doubt  that  daily  contact  with  the  woods 
and  fields  awakened  my  interest  in  the  wonders  of 
nature,  and  gave  me  a  bent  toward  investigation  in  that 
direction." 

405 


John  Burroughs 

"Did  you  begin  early  to  make  notes  and  write  upon 
nature?"  I  questioned." 

"Not  before  I  was  sixteen  or  seventeen.  Earlier  than 
that,  the  art  of  composition  had  anything  but  charms 
for  me.  I  remember  that  while  at  school,  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  I  was  required,  like  other  students,  to  write 
'  compositions  '  at  stated  times,  but  I  usually  evaded  the 
duty  one  way  or  another.  On  one  occasion,  I  copied 
something  from  a  comic  almanac,  and  unblushingly 
handed  it  in  as  my  own.  But  the  teacher  detected  the 
fraud,  and  ordered  me  to  produce  a  twelve-line  com- 
position before  I  left  school.  I  remember  I  racked  my 
brain  in  vain,  and  the  short  winter  day  was  almost 
closing  when  Jay  Gould,  who  sat  in  the  seat  behind 
me,  wrote  twelve  lines  of  doggerel  on  his  slate  and 
passed  it  slyly  over  to  me.  I  had  so  little  taste  for  writ- 
ing that  I  coolly  copied  that,  and  handed  it  in  as  my 
own." 

JAY  GOULD  WAS  HIS  CHUM. 

"You  were  friendly  with  Gould  then  ?" 

"Oh,  yes ;  'chummy,'  they  call  it  now.  His  father's 
farm  was  only  a  little  way  from  ours,  and  we  were  fast 
friends,  going  home  together  every  night." 

"His  view  of  life  must  have  been  considerably  differ- 
ent from  yours." 

"It  was.  I  always  looked  upon  success  as  being  a 
matter  of  mind,  not  money ;  but  Jay  wanted  the  mate- 
rial appearances.  I  remember  that  once  we  had  a 
wrestling  match,  and  as  we  were  about  even  in 

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The  Poet-Naturalist 

strength,  we  agreed  to  abide  by  certain  rules, — taking 
what  we  called  '  holts  '  in  the  beginning  and  not  break- 
ing them  until  one  or  the  other  was  thrown.  I  kept 
to  this  in  the  struggle,  but  when  Jay  realized  that  he 
was  in  danger  of  losing  the  contest,  he  broke  the  '  holt ' 
and  threw  me.  When  I  remarked  that  he  had  broken 
his  agreement,  he  only  laughed  and  said,  'I  threw  you, 
didn't  I  ?'  And  to  every  objection  I  made,  he  made  the 
same  answer.  The  fact  of  having  won  (it  did  not  mat- 
ter how),  was  pleasing  to  him.  It  satisfied  him,  al- 
though it  wouldn't  have  contented  me." 

"Did  you  ever  talk  over  success  in  life  with  him  ?" 
"Yes ;  quite  often.  He  was  bent  on  making  money 
and  did  considerable  trading  among  us  schoolboys, — 
sold  me  some  of  his  books.  I  felt  then  that  my  view 
of  life  was  more  satisfactory  to  me  than  his  would  have 
been.  I  wanted  to  obtain  a  competence,  and  then  de- 
vote myself  to  high  thinking  instead  of  to  money- 
making." 

"How  did  you  plan  to  attain  this  end  ?" 

HE  BEGAN  WRITING  AT  SIXTEEN. 

"By  study.  I  began  in  my  sixteenth  or  seventeenth* 
year  to  try  to  express  myself  on  paper,  and  when,  after 
I  had  left  the  country  school,  I  attended  the  seminary 
at  Ashland  and  at  Cooperstown,  I  often  received  the 
highest  marks  in  composition,  though  only  standing 
about  the  average  in  general  scholarship.  My  taste 
ran  to  essays,  and  I  picked  up  the  great  works  in  that 

407 


John  Burroughs 

field  at  a  bookstore,  from  time  to  time,  and  filled  my 
mind  with  the  essay  idea.  I  bought  the  whole  of  Dr. 
Johnson's  works  at  a  second-hand  bookstore  in  New 
York,  because,  on  looking  into  them,  I  found  his  essays 
appeared  to  be  of  solid  literature,  which  I  thought  was 
just  the  thing.  Almost  my  first  literary  attempts  were 
moral  reflections,  somewhat  in  the  Johnsonian  style." 
"You  were  supporting  yourself  during  these  years  ?" 
"I  taught  six  months  and  '  boarded  round '  before  I 
went  to  the  seminary.  That  put  fifty  dollars  into  my 
pocket,  and  the  fifty  paid  my  way  at  the  seminary. 
Working  on  the  farm,  studying  and  teaching  filled  up 
the  years  until  1863,  when  I  went  to  Washington  and 
found  employment  in  the  Treasury  Department." 
"You  were  connected  with  the  Treasury,  then  ?" 
"Oh,  yes;  for  nearly  nine  years.  I  left  the  depart- 
ment in  1872,  to  become  receiver  of  a  bank,  and  subse- 
quently for  several  years  performed  the  work  of  a  bank 
examiner.  I  considered  it  only  as  an  opportunity  to 
earn  and  save  up  a  little  money  on  which  I  could  retire. 
I  managed  to  do  that,  and  came  back  to  this  region, 
where  I  bought  a  fruit  farm.  I  worked  that  into  a  pay- 
ing condition,  and  then  gave  all  my  time  to  the  pursuit 
of  the  studies  I  like." 

"Had  you  abandoned  your  interest  in  nature  during 
your  Washington  life  ?" 

"No ;  I  gave  as  much  time  to  the  study  of  nature  and 
literature  as  I  had  to  spare.  When  I  was  twenty-three, 
I  wrote  an  essay  on  'Expression,'  and  sent  it  to  the 

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The  Poet-Naturalist 

'Atlantic.'  It  was  so  Emersonian  in  style,  owing  to  my 
enthusiasm  for  Emerson  at  that  time,  that  the  editor 
thought  some  one  was  trying  to  palm  off  on  him  an 
early  essay  of  Emerson's  which  he  had  not  seen.  He 
found  that  Emerson  had  not  published  any  such  paper, 
however,  and  printed  it,  though  it  had  not  much  merit. 
I  wrote  off  and  on  for  the  magazines." 

The  editor  in  question  was  James  Russell  Lowell, 
who,  instead  of  considering  it  without  merit,  often  ex- 
pressed afterward  the  delight  with  which  he  read  this 
contribution  from  an  unknown  hand,  and  the  swift  im- 
pression of  the  author's  future  distinction  which  came 
to  him  with  that  reading. 

WHAT  NATURE  STUDY  REALLY  MEANS. 

"Your  successful  work,  then,  has  been  in  what  direc- 
tion?" I  said. 

"In  studying  nature.  It  has  all  come  by  living  close 
to  the  plants  and  animals  of  the  woods  and  fields,  and 
coming  to  understand  them.  There  I  have  been  suc- 
cessful. Men  who,  like  myself,  are  deficient  in  self- 
assertion,  or  whose  personalities  are  flexible  and  yield- 
ing, make  a  poor  show  in  business,  but  in  certain  other 
fields  these  defects  become  advantages.  Certainly  it  is 
so  in  my  case.  I  can  succeed  with  bird  or  beast,  for  I 
have  cultivated  my  ability  in  that  direction.  I  can  look 
in  the  eye  of  an  ugly  dog  or  cow  and  win,  but  with  an 
ugly  man  I  have  less  success. 

"I  consider  the  desire  which  most  individuals  have 

409 


John  Burroughs 
\ 

for  the  luxuries  which  money  can  buy,  an  error  of 
mind,"  he  added.  "Those  things  do  not  mean  anything 
except  a  lack  of  higher  tastes.  Such  wants  are  not 
necessary  wants,  nor  honorable  wants.  If  you  cannot 
get  wealth  with  a  noble  purpose,  it  is  better  to  abandon 
it  and  get  something  else.  Peace  of  mind  is  one  of  the 
best  things  to  seek,  and  finer  tastes  and  feelings.  The 
man  who  gets  these,  and  maintains  himself  comfortably, 
is  much  more  admirable  and  successful  than  the  man 
who  gets  money  and  neglects  these.  The  realm  of 
power  has  no  fascination  for  me.  I  would  rather  have 
my  seclusion  and  peace  of  mind.  This  log  hut,  with  its 
bare  floors,  is  sufficient.  I  am  set  down  among  the 
beauties  of  nature,  and  in  no  danger  of  losing  the  riches 
that  are  scattered  all  about.  No  one  will  take  my  walks 
or  my  brook  away  from  me.  The  flowers,  birds  and 
animals  are  plentifully  provided.  I  have  enough  to  eat 
and  wear,  and  time  to  see  how  beautiful  the  world  is, 
and  to  enjoy  it.  The  entire  world  is  after  your  money, 
or  the  things  you  have  bought  with  your  money.  It  is 
trying  to  keep  them  that  makes  them  seem  so  precious. 
I  live  to  broaden  and  enjoy  my  own  life,  believing  that 
in  so  doing  I  do  what  is  best  for  everyone.  If  I  ran 
after  birds  only  to  write  about  them,  I  should  never 
have  written  anything  that  anyone  else  would  have 
cared  to  read.  I  must  write  from  sympathy  and  love, — 
that  is,  from  enjoyment, — or  not  at  all.  I  come  gradu- 
ally to  have  a  feeling  that  I  want  to  write  upon  a  given 
theme.  Whenever  the  subject  recurs  to  me,  it  awakens 

410 


The  Poet-Naturalist 

a  warm,  personal  response.  My  confidence  that  I  ought 
to  write  comes  from  the  feeling  or  attraction  which 
some  subjects  exercise  over  me.  The  work  is  pleasure, 
and  the  result  gives  pleasure." 

"And  your  work  as  a  naturalist  is  what?'' 

"Climbing  trees  to  study  birds,  lying  by  the  water- 
side to  watch  the  fishes,  sitting  still  in  the  grass  for 
hours  to  study  the  insects,  and  tramping  here  and  there, 
always  to  observe  and  study  whatever  is  common  to  the 
woods  and  fields." 

"Men  think  you  have  done  a  great  work,"  I  said. 

"I  have  done  a  pleasant  work,"  he  said,  modestly. 

"And  the  achievements  of  your  schoolmate  Gould  do 
not  appeal  to  you  as  having  anything  in  them  worth 
aiming  for  ?"  I  questioned. 

"Not  for  me.  I  think  my  life  is  better  for  having 
escaped  such  vast  and  difficult  interests." 

The  gentle,  light-hearted  naturalist  and  recluse  came 
down  the  long  hillside  with  me,  "to  put  me  right"  on 
the  main  road.  I  watched  him  as  he  retraced  his  steps 
up  the  steep,  dark  path,  lantern  in  hand.  His  sixty 
years  sat  lightly  upon  him,  and  as  he  ascended  I  heard 
him  singing.  Long  after  the  light  melody  had  died 
away,  I  saw  the  serene  little  light  bobbing  up  and  down 
in  his  hand,  disappearing  and  reappearing,  as  the  lone 
philosopher  repaired  to  his  hut  and  his  couch  of  content. 

WHY  HE  IS  RICH   WITHOUT   MONEY. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  that  Mr.  Burroughs  has  no 
money.  As  an  author,  he  has  given  us  such  delightful 

411 


John  Burroughs 

books,  dear  to  every  lover  of  nature,  as  "Wake,  Robin," 
"Winter  Sunshine,"  "Locusts  and  Wild  Honey," 
"Fresh  Fields,"  "Indoor  Studies,"  "Birds  and  Poets," 
"Pepacton,"  "Signs  and  Seasons,"  "Riverby,"  "Whit- 
man," and  "The  Light  of  Day,"  published  by  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin  &  Company. 

His  writings  produce  goodly  sums;  while  his  vine- 
yards and  gardens  produce  as  much  as  he  needs;  but 
the  charm  of  it  all  is,  he  knows  not  the  unrest  of  eagerly 
seeking  it.  His  is  one  of  the  very  infrequent  instances 
in  which  a  man  knows  when  he  has  enough,  and  really 
and  truthfully  does  not  care  for  more.  Nor  is  he  a 
"hayseed"  in  the  popular  application  of  that  expressive 
term.  When  he  goes  to  the  city,  as  he  occasionally 
does  (just  to  reassure  himself  that  he  prefers  life  in 
the  country),  he  is  not  met  at  the  station  by  gentlemen 
in  loud  checked  suits ;  he  carries  no  air  of  the  rustic 
with  him.  As  an  Irish  wit  recently  put  it,  "When  in 
Paris,  he  does  as  the  parasites  do,"  and  he  conducts 
himself  and  clothes  himself  as- a  well  regulated  citizen 
should. 

So  John  Burroughs  is  rich,  not  in  money,  but  in 
thought,  in  simplicity,  in  the  knowledge  that  he  is  mak- 
ing the  best  of  life.  He  has  found  out  that  money  is 
not  everything,  that  all  the  money  in  the  world  will  not 
buy  a  light  heart,  or  a  good  name, — that  there  is  a 
place  for  every  one,  and  in  that  place  alone  can  a  man 
be  of  service  to  himself  or  others, — that  there  alone  can 
he  be  successful;  there  only  can  he  be  "rich  without 
money !" 

412 


XLII 

A  Millionaire's  Daughter  Makes  In- 
herited Wealth  a  Blessing  to 
Thousands. 

MISS  HELEN  MILLER  GOULD  has  won  a 
place  for  herself  in  the  hearts  of  Americans 
such  as  few  people  of  great  wealth  ever  gain. 
She  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  popular  young  women  of  New  York,  if  not  in  the 
world.    Her  strong  character,  common  sense,  and  high 
ideals,  have  made  her  respected  by  all,  while  her  munifi- 
cence and  kindness  have  won  her  the  love  of  many. 

Her  personality  is  charming.  Upon  my  arrival  at 
her  Tarrytown  home,  I  was  made  to  feel  that  I  was 
welcome,  and  everyone  who  enters  her  presence  feels 
the  same.  The  grand  mansion,  standing  high  on  the 
hills  overlooking  the  Hudson,  has  a  home-like  appear- 
ance that  takes  away  any  awe  that  may  come  over  the 
visitor  who  looks  upon  so  much  beauty  for  the  first 
time. 

Chickens  play  around  the  little  stone  cottage  at  the 
grand  entrance,  and  the  grounds  are  not  unlike  those 
of  any  other  country  house,  with  trees  in  abundance, 
and  beautiful  lawns.  There  are  large  beds  of  flowers, 

413 


Helen  Miller  Gould 

and  in  the  gardens  all  the  summer  vegetables  were 
growing. 

Miss  Gould  takes  a  very  great  interest  in  her  famous 
greenhouses,  the  gardens,  the  flowers,  and  the  chickens, 
,  for  she  is  a  home-loving  woman.  It  is  a  common  thing 
to  see  her  in  the  grounds,  digging  and  raking  and  plant- 
ing, for  all  the  world  like  some  farmer's  girl.  That  is 
one  reason  why  her  neighbors  all  like  her ;  she  seems  so 
unconscious  of  her  wealth  and  station. 

A  FACE  FULL  OF  CHARACTER. 

When  I  entered  Lyndhurst,  she  came  forward  to 
meet  me  in  the  pleasantest  way  imaginable.  Her  face 
is  not  exactly  beautiful,  but  has  a  great  deal  of  char- 
acter written  upon  it,  and  is  very  attractive,  indeed. 
She  held  out  her  hand  for  me  to  shake  in  the  good  old- 
fashioned  way,  and  then  we  sat  down  in  the  wide  hall 
to  talk.  Miss  Gould  was  dressed  very  simply.  Her 
gown  was  of  dark  cloth,  close-fitting,  and  her  skirt 
hung  several  inches  above  the  ground,  for  she  is  a  be- 
liever in  short  skirts  for  walking.  Her  entire  costume 
was  very  becoming.  She  never  over-dresses,  and  her 
garments  are  neat,  and,  naturally,  of  excellent  quality. 

HER  AMBITIONS  AND  AIMS. 

In  the  conversation  that  followed,  I  was  permitted 
to  learn  much  of  her  ambitions  and  aims.  She  is  am- 
bitious to  leave  a  great  impression  on  the  world, — an 
impression  made  by  good  deeds  well  done,  and  this 

414 


A  Friend  of  the  Children 

ambition  is  gratifying  to  the  utmost.  She  is  modest 
about  her  work.  "I  cannot  find  that  I  am  doing  much 
at  all,"  she  said,  "when  there  is  so  very  much  to  be 
done.  I  suppose  I  shouldn't  expect  to  be  able  to  do 
everything,  but  I  sometimes  feel  that  I  want  to,  never- 
theless." Her  good  works  are  numerous  and  many- 
sided.  For  a  number  of  years,  she  has  supported  two 
beds  in  the  Babies'  Shelter,  connected  with  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Communion,  New  York,  and  the  Wayside 
Day  Nursery,  near  Bellevue  Hospital,  has  always  found 
in  her  a  good  friend.  Once  a  year  she  makes  a  tour 
through  the  day  nurseries  of  New  York,  noting  the 
special  needs  of  each,  and  often  sending  checks  and 
materials  for  meeting  those  needs. 

A    MOST    CHARMING   CHARITY. 

One  of  her  most  charming  charities  is  "Woody 
Crest,"  two  miles  from  Lyndhurst,  a  haven  of  delight 
where  some  twoscore  waifs  are  received  at  a  time  for 
a  two-weeks'  visit.  She  has  a  personal  oversight  of  the 
place,  and,  by  her  frequent  visits,  makes  friends  with 
the  wee  visitors,  who  look  upon  her  as  a  combination 
of  angel  and  fairy  godmother.  Every  day,  a  wagonette, 
drawn  by  two  horses,  takes  the  children,  in  relays,  for 
long  drives  into  the  country.  Amusements  are  provided, 
and  some  of  those  who  remain  for  an  entire  season  at 
Woody  Crest  are  instructed  in  different  branches. 
Twice  a  month  some  of  the  older  boys  set  the  type  for 
a  little  magazine  which  is  devoted  to  Woody  Crest  mat- 

415 


Helen  Miller  Gould 

ters.  There  are  several  portable  cottages  erected  there, 
one  for  the  sick,  one  for  servants'  sleeping  rooms,  and 
a  third  for  a  laundry. 

Miss  Gould's  patriotism  is  very  real  and  intense,  and 
is  not  confined  to  times  of  war.  Two  years  ago,  she 
caused  fifty  thousand  copies  of  the  national  hymn, 
"America,"  to  be  printed  and  distributed  among  the 
pupils  of  the  public  schools  of  New  York. 

"I  believe  every  on?  should  know  that  hymn  and 
sing  it,"  she  declared,  "if  he  sings  no  other.  I  would 
like  the  children  to  sing  it  into  their  very  souls,  till  it 
becomes  a  part  of  them." 

She  strongly  favors  patriotic  services  in  the  churches 
on  the  Sunday  preceding  the  Fourth  of  July,  when  she 
would  like  to  hear  such  airs  as  "America,"  "Hail 
Columbia,"  and  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  and  see 
the  sacred  edifices  draped  in  red,  white  and  blue. 

UNHERALDED  BENEFACTIONS. 

Miss  Gould  has  a  strong  prejudice  against  letting 
her  many  gifts  and  charities  be  known,  and  even  her 
dearest  friends  never  know  "what  Helen's  doing  now." 
Of  course,  her  great  public  charities,  as  when  she  gives 
a  hundred  thousand  dollars  at  a  time,  are  heralded. 
Her  recent  gift  of  that  sum  to  the  government,  for 
national  defense,  has  made  her  name  beloved  through- 
out the  land ;  but,  had  she  been  able,  she  would  have 
kept  that  secret  also. 

I  tried  to  ascertain  her  views  regarding  the  educa- 

416 


C/3 


H 


c/i 
w 
S 

o 

Q 


A  Friend  of  the  Children 

tion  of  young  women  of  to-day,  and  what  careers  they 
should  follow.  This  is  one  of  her  particular  hobbies, 
and  many  are  the  young  girls  she  has  helped  to  attain 
to  a  better  and  more  satisfactory  life. 

HER  MEANS  OF  EDUCATION. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  she  said,  "I  believe  most  earnest- 
ly in  education  for  women ;  not  necessarily  the  higher 
education  about  which  we  hear  so  much,  but  a  good, 
common  school  education.  As  the  years  pass,  girls 
are  obliged  to  make  their  own  way  in  the  world  more 
and  more,  and  to  do  so  they  must  have  good  schooling." 

"And  what  particular  career  do  you  think  most  de- 
sirable for  young  women?" 

"Oh,  as  to  careers,  there  are  many  that  young  women 
follow,  nowadays.  I  think,  if  I  had  my  own  way  to 
make,  I  should  fit  myself  to  be  a  private  secretary. 
That  is  a  position  which,  I  think,  attracts  nearly  every 
young  woman ;  but,  to  fill  it,  she  must  study  hard  and 
learn,  and  then  work  hard  to  keep  the  place.  Then  I 
think  there  are  openings  for  young  women  in  the  field 
of  legitimate  business.  I've  always  held  that  women 
know  as  much  about  money  affairs  as  men,  only  most 
of  them  haven't  had  much  experience.  In  that  field 
there  are  hundreds  of  things  that  a  woman  can  do." 

THE  EVIL  OF  IDLENESS. 

"But  I  don't  think  it  matters  much  what  a  girl  does 
so  long  as  she  is  active,  and  doesn't  allow  herself  to 

41? 


Helen  Miller  Gould 

stagnate.  There's  nothing,  to  my  mind,  so  pathetic  as 
a  girl  who  thinks  she  can't  do  anything,  and  is  of  no 
use  to  the  world.  Why,  it's  no  wonder  there  are  so 
many  suicides  every  day!" 

She  is  consulted  by  her  agents  in  regard  to  all  her 
affairs.  "I  have  no  time  for  society,"  she  said,  "and 
indeed  I  do  not  care  for  it  at  all.  It  is  very  well  for 
those  who  like  it,"  she  added,  for  she  is  a  tolerant 
critic. 

Her  life  at  Tarrytown  is  an  ideal  one.  She  runs 
down  to  the  city  at  frequent  intervals,  to  attend  to  busi- 
ness affairs,  for  she  manages  all  her  own  property ;  but 
she  lives  at  Lyndhurst.  She  entertains  but  few  visitors, 
and  in  turn  visits  but  seldom. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  specify  the  numerous  projects 
of  charity  that  have  been  given  life  and  vigor  by  Miss 
Gould.  I  know  her  gifts  in  recent  years  have  passed 
the  million-dollar  mark. 

Would  you  have  an  idea  of  her  personality? 

If  so,  think  of  a  good  young  woman  in  your  own 
town,  who  loves  her  parents  and  her  home;  who  is 
devoted  to  the  church;  who  thinks  of  the  poor  on 
Thanksgiving  Day  and  Christmas ;  whose  face  is  bright 
and  manner  unaffected;  whose  dress  is  elegant  in  its 
simplicity;  who  takes  an  interest  in  all  things,  from 
politics  to  religion;  whom  children  love  and  day- 
laborers  greet  by  fervently  lifting  the  hat;  and  who, 
if  she  were  graduated  from  a  home  seminary  or  col- 
lege, would  receive  a  bouquet  from  every  boy  in  town. 

418 


A  Friend  of  the  Children 

If  you  can  think  of  such  a  young  woman,  and  nearly 
every  community  has  one,  (and  ninety-nine  times  out 
of  a  hundred  she  is  poor,)  you  have  a  fair  idea  of  the 
impression  made  on  a  plain  man  from  a  country  town 
in  Indiana  by  Miss  Gould. 

Helen  Miller  Gould  is  just  at  the  threshold  of  her 
beautiful  career.  What  a  promise  is  there  in  her  life 
and  work  for  the  coming  century ! 

She  has  given  much  of  her  fortune  for  the  Hall  of 
Fame  on  the  campus  of  the  New  York  University, 
overlooking  the  Harlem  River.  It  contains  tablets  for 
the  names  of  fifty  distinguished  Americans,  and  proud 
will  be  the  descendants  of  those  whose  names  are  in- 
scribed thereon. 

The  human  heart  is  the  tablet  upon  which  Miss 
Gould  has  inscribed  her  name  and  her  "Hall  of  Fame" 
is  as  broad  and  high  as  the  Republic  itself. 


419 


XLIII 

A    Self-made   Merchant   Solves    the 
Problem  of  Practical  Philanthropy 

LATE  one  afternoon,  I  stopped  to  converse  with  a 
policeman  in  Central  Park.  Another  policeman 
came  up.  Nathan  Strauss  was  mentioned. 

"Well,  I  tell  you,"  said  the  first  policeman, 
stamping  his  foot,  "there  is  a  man ! 

"Charities!  He's  the  only  man  in  New  York  City 
who  gives  real  charities.  Why,  when  others  want  to 
give,  they  go  to  him,  and  have  him  do  it  for  them.  He 
knows  what's  what.  I  tell  you,  he's  the  most  respected 
man  in  New  York  City;"  and  the  other  said,  "That's 
right." 

Go  on  the  east  side,  and  ask  about  Nathan  Strauss, 
and  you  will  hear  what  is  as  pleasant  as  it  is  rare, — the 
poor  giving  a  rich  man  unstinted  praise.  But  do  not 
speak  to  Mr.  Strauss  about  his  work  as  charity ;  he  dis- 
likes to  have  it  called  by  that  name. 

PRACTICAL  BENEFICENCE  NOT  MERE  CHARITY. 

The  greatest  blessing  that  he  has  conferred  on  New 
York,  is  helping  the  poor  to  get  pure,  sterilized  milk. 
No  work  of  beneficence  ever  before  showed  such  sur- 

420 


Merchant  and  Philanthropist 

prising  results.  It  has  reduced  the  death  rate  of  in- 
fants over  fifty  per  cent.  Formerly,  almost  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  the  very  poor  died. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1893  that  Mr.  Strauss 
opened  his  first  milk  depot,  at  which  milk  was  sold  for 
four  cents  a  quart ;  one  and  one-half  cents  a  bottle  for 
sterilized  pure  milk;  one  cent  a  bottle  (six  ounces,) 
for  modified  milk,  and  one  cent  a  glass  for  pure  milk. 

It  was  a  loss  to  the  benefactor,  but  he  established 
other  depots  throughout  the  unhealthy  portions  of 
the  city  and  in  the  parks.  Doctors  received  blanks  to 
fill  out  for  milk  for  those  unable  to  purchase,  and  to 
such  it  was  given  free.  A  doctor's  prescription  was 
honored.  What  followed?  The  death  rate  was  re- 
duced. 

At  the  instigation  of  his  son, — who  died  from  a  cold 
contracted  in  distributing  coal, — coal  yards  had  been 
established  on  the  docks  and  elsewhere.  The  dealers  at 
that  time  were  retailing  coal  at  ten  cents  and  fourteen 
cents  a  basket,  which  made  the  price  from  twelve  dol- 
lars to  sixteen  dollars  per  ton.  At  Mr.  Strauss'  depots, 
five-cent  tickets  procured  twenty  and  twenty-five 
pounds ;  ten-cent  tickets,  forty  and  fifty  pounds,  and  so 
on.  Most  of  the  coal  was  carried  in  baskets  on  the 
shoulders  and  backs  of  those  who,  in  some  cases,  had 
walked  miles  to  obtain  it.  During  the  last  financial 
panic,  grocery  stores  were  started,  where  five  cents  pro- 
cured a  large  amount  of  food.  Lodging  houses  were 
opened,  while  a  clean  bed  and  a  breakfast  of  coffee  and 

42l 


Nathan  Strauss 

bread  could  be  procured  for  five  cents,  and  lunch  rooms 
where  two  cents  purchased  bread  and  coffee  and  corned 
beef. 

The  great  financier,  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  asked  Mr. 
Strauss  to  be  permitted  to  assist  him  in  the  grocery 
stores,  and  a  large  central  depot  was  rented  at  345 
Grand  street,  for  which  Mr.  Morgan  furnished  the 
money  and  Mr.  Strauss  acted  as  manager. 

Although  all  these  charities  in  which  Mr.  Strauss  has 
been  interested  have  entailed  a  steady  loss,  a  great 
number  of  those  he  benefited  and  benefits  are  under 
the  impression  that  he  does  not  sustain  a  loss,  and  that 
they  merely  buy  for  less  than  they  would  pay  else- 
where. 

HE  DOES  NOT  WOUND  THEIR  SELF-RESPECT. 

This  is  exactly  the  impression  he  desires  them  to 
possess,  in  his  own  words : — 

"I  do  not  wish  to  make  a  single  one  feel  that  he  is 
receiving  charity,  or  is  in  any  way  a  pauper.  Such  an 
impression  is  harmful,  and  lowers  the  standard  of  those 
who  have  a  right  to  consider  that  they  are  the  sinews 
of  the  country.  I  wish  them  to  feel  only  that  they  are 
buying  at  low  prices.  Suppose  that  those  who  buy  five 
cents'  worth  of  groceries  and  trudge  a  distance  for 
them,  are  able  to  pay  a  little  more.  The  mere  fact  that 
they  walk  far  to  save  a  few  cents,  proves  that  their 
hard-earned  pennies  are  precious,  and  that  there  is  the 
necessity  of  getting  all  that  can  be  obtained  for  their 
money." 

422 


Merchant  and  Philanthropist 

HE  IS  A  KEEN,  ENERGETIC  MANAGER. 

Such  is  the  keynote  of  Mr.  Strauss'  love  for  hu- 
manity. He  is  not  a  "lord  bountiful,"  but  a  generous 
man,  unsolicitous  of  thanks.  There  are  many  records 
of  him  having  helped  individuals.  Two  young  men  in 
his  employ  were  threatened  with  an  early  death  from 
consumption.  He  sent  them  to  a  sanitarium  in  the 
Adirondacks  for  a  year,  when  they  returned  sound  in 
health.  During  their  absence,  their  salaries  were  paid 
to  their  families. 

In  business,  Mr.  Strauss  is  a  strict  disciplinarian.  He 
believes  that  every  man  should  attend  strictly  to  duty, 
and  this  is  the  fundamental  secret  of  his  success.  In 
his  own  words,  "Any  man,  with  the  ordinary  amount 
of  business  instinct,  can  succeed.  To  succeed,  you  must 
be  honest,  believe  in  your  own  ability,  and,  after  having 
selected  your  path  in  life,  stick  to  it  through  thick  and 
thin.  With  ordinary  mental  endowments,  there  is  no 
reason  why  any  young  man  should  fail. 

"Do  I  think  the  chances  of  to-day  are  as  great  as 
some  years  ago?  They  are  greater.  The  thing  is  to 
take  advantage  of  opportunities  and  utilize  them  to  the 
best  of  your  ability.  Chances,  or  opportunities,  come 
to  everyone,  often,  in  a  lifetime.  They  should  be  recog- 
nized. Never  let  one  slip ;  but  weigh  the  possibilities. 
The  great  trouble  is,  a  great  many  young  men  do  not 
bestir  themselves.  They  fall  into  a  rut,  and  lack 
'ginger.'  This  is  a  bustling  world,  and  every  young 

423 


Nathan  Strauss 

man  should  be  wide-awake  and  on  the  lookout,  con- 
stantly giving-  conscientious  attention  to  duty.  Duty, 
integrity  and  energy  are  the  watchwords,  and  will 
direct  you  on  the  road  to  success.  Remember,  the  op- 
portunities of  to-day  are  as  great  as  ever !" 

ONWARD,  EVER;  UPWARD,  ALWAYS. 

But  though  Mr.  Strauss  is  a  tireless  worker,  he  finds 
time  for  a  little  recreation.  He  is  one  of  the  best  gen- 
tleman drivers  in  New  York,  and  he  delights  to  race  on 
the  speedway.  Still,  the  background  of  his  life  is 
charity.  For  many  years,  he  desired  to  establish  a 
sterilizing  plant  on  Randall's  Island,  for  the  benefit  of 
waifs  and  foundlings  taken  there.  The  death  rate 
was  very  high.  At  length  he  gained  his  point,  and  a 
recent  unsolicited  letter  from  the  matron  contained  the 
gratifying  statement  "that  the  death  rate,  since  the  in- 
stallation of  the  plant,  has  been  reduced  fully  fifty  per 
cent." 

In  such  deeds,  Nathan  Strauss  delights.  His  life  is 
one  of  perpetual  attention  to  duty  and  to  business,  and 
he  encourages  others  who  would  succeed,  by  saying: 
"Go  at  it  with  a  will,  and  stick  to  your  ambitious  aspi- 
rations through  thick  and  thin !" 

Mr.  Strauss  himself  is  an  excellent  example  of  the 
success  of  the  principle  which  he  urges  upon  others  as 
a  rule  of  life.  His  whole  career  has  been  distinguished 
by  tireless  energy  and  industry,  and  the  interests  which 
are  under  his  control  have  never  suffered  for  any  lack 

424 


Merchant  and  Philanthropist 

of  careful  and  thorough  attention.  He  has  always  been 
deliberate  and  consistent  in  adopting  and  adhering  to 
any  policy,  public  or  private,  and  never  deserts  those 
whom  he  has  seen  fit  to  honor  with  his  confidence,  save 
on  absolute  proof  of  their  unworthiness. 


425 


XLIV  , 

A  Varied  Career  Develops  the  Re- 
sourceful Head  of  a  Great  In- 
stitutional Church  and  College. 

IT  was  misfortune  that  proved  the  fortunate  turning- 
point  for  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell,  the  pastor  of 
the  largest  church  in  America,  and  president  of 
Temple  College,  which  has  upward  of  8,000  stu- 
dents.   He  had  not  been  unsuccessful  prior  to  his  ordi- 
nation to  the  ministry ;  on  the  contrary,  he  had  been  a 
successful  newspaper  man  and  lawyer,  and  had  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Civil  War.     But,  in  the  panic 
of  1873,  he  lost  most  of  his  investments.    I  quote  his 
own  words: — 

"I  then  wondered, — being  always  of  a  religious  tem- 
perament,— why  I  should  make  money  my  goal." 

We  sat  in  his  study,  and  he  spoke  thus  of  his  inter- 
esting life : — 

"I  was  born  at  South  Worthington,  Hampshire 
County,  Massachusetts,  February  15,  1843,  on  my 
father's  farm,  called  the  'Eagle's  Nest,'  on  account  of 
its  high  and  rocky  surroundings.  At  an  early  age, 
I  went  to  school,  and,  when  I  grew  older,  worked 
on  the  farm.  I  was  sometimes  laughed  at  because  I 

426 


Lecturer  and  Clergyman 

always  carried  a  book  around  with  me,  studying  and 
memorizing  as  I  worked.  Yet  I  was  dull  and  stupid, 
never  stood  high  in  my  classes,  and  could  not  grasp  a 
subject  as  quickly  as  others.  But  I  would  stick  to  it. 
I  am  just  as  dull  now,  but  I  preserve  my  old  habit  of 
stick-to-it-iveness.  If  I  am  driving  a  tack  and  it  goes 
in  crooked,  I  lift  it  ooit,  straighten  it,  and  send  it 
home.  That  is  one  of  my  golden  rules  that  I  force 
myself  to  obey." 

HE  ENLISTED  AT  EIGHTEEN. 

"I  went  to  Wilbraham,  and,  in  1861,  entered  Yale 
College,  taking  up  law,  but  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
interrupted  my  studies.  I  enlisted,  but,  being  only 
eighteen  years  of  age,  my  father  made  me  '  right  about 
face',  and  come  home.  If  I  could  not  fight,  I  could 
speak,  and  I  delivered  orations  all  over  my  native  state, 
and  was  in  some  demand  in  Boston,  Finally,  in  1862, 
I  could  stand  the  strain  no  longer,  and  my  father, 
already  greatly  interested  in  the  war,  permitted  me  to 
go  to  the  field. 

"I  returned  a  colonel,  suffering  from  a  wound,  cam- 
paigns and  imprisonment,  and  entered  the  law  school 
of  the  Albany  University,  from  which  I  was  graduated 
in  1865. 

"I  married  and  moved  to  the  great  far  west,  to  the 
then  small  town  of  Minneapolis.  There  I  suffered  the 
usual  'uphill  experiences  and  privations  of  a  young 
lawyer  trying  to  make  his  way  single-handed.  I  opened 

427 


Russell  H.  Conwell 

a  law  office  in  a  two-story  stone  building  on  Bridge 
square.  My  clients  did  not  come,  and  poverty  stared 
my  wife  and  me  in  the  face.  I  became  an  agent  for 
Thompson  Brothers,  of  St.  Paul,  in  the  sale  of  land 
warrants. 

"Fortune  favored  me  in  business,  and  I  also  became 
the  Minneapolis  correspondent  of  the  St.  Paul  'Press.' 
I  acquired  some  real  estate,  and  took  part  in  politics. 
Having  once  dipped  into  journalism,  I  started  a  paper 
of  my  own  called  'Conwell's  Star  of  the  North.'  Then 
the  sheriff  made  his  appearance,  and  turned  the  con- 
cern over  to  a  man  with  more  capital.  Next,  I  brought 
the  Minneapolis  daily  'Chronicle'  to  life.  It  united 
with  the  'Atlas,'  and  the  combined  papers  formed  the 
foundation  for  the  great  journal  of  Minneapolis,  the 
Tribune.' " 

HOUSEKEEPING  IN  TWO  SMALL  ROOMS. 

"I  continued  to  practice  law.  My  wife  and  myself 
lived  in  two  small  rooms.  The  front  one  was  my  office, 
and  the  back  one,  kitchen,  parlor,  sitting  room  and  bed- 
room. I  had  never  fully  recovered  from  my  wound 
received  in  the  war.  I  knew  Governor  Marshall,  and 
it  was  he  who  appointed  me  emigration  commissioner 
for  the  state  of  Minnesota.  My  duties,  of  course,  took 
me  to  Europe." 

When  Dr.  Conwell  arrived  in  Europe,  his  health, 
that  had  been  breaking  down,  gradually  gave  way,  and 
he  gave  up  his  place  as  commissioner.  For  awhile,  he 

428 


Lecturer  and  Clergyman 

rested;  then,  for  several  months,  he  attended  lectures 
at  the  University  of  Leipsic.  That  pilgrimage  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  number  of  other  journeys  across  the  At- 
lantic to  the  principal  countries  of  Europe,  and  to 
northern  Africa. 

"In  1870,"  continued  Dr.  Conwell,  "I  made  a  tour  of 
the  world  as  special  correspondent  for  the  New  York 
Tribune'  and  the  Boston  Traveler.'  I  then  exposed 
the  iniquities  of  Chinese  contract  immigration.  I  next 
returned  to  Boston  and  law,  and  became  editor  of  the 
Boston  Traveler.'  " 

"But,  doctor,  had  you  never  entertained  a  desire  to 
enter  the  ministry  ?"  I  asked. 

"AH  my  life  I  studied  theology.  The  question  was 
before  me  always:  Shall  it  be  law  or  the  ministry? 
The  change  came  after  I  had  lost  considerable  money 
in  the  panic  of  1873.  Then  came  death  into  my  home, 
and  the  loss  of  my  first  wife.  I  turned  to  missionary 
work  in  Boston.  As  time  rolled  on,  I  became  more 
interested.  But  the  turning-point  was  really  brought 
about  by  a  law  case.  There  was  a  meeting  house  in 
Lexington,  Massachusetts,  in  1877,  dilapidated  and  old. 
The  congregation  had  left  it,  so  the  few  old  persons 
who  remained  decided  that  it  should  be  sold.  They 
wished  to  consult  a  lawyer,  and  called  me  to  Lexing- 
ton. Standing  on  the  platform,  I  asked  the  few  present 
to  vote  upon  the  question.  The  edifice  had  been  dear 
to  some  of  them,  and  they  hemmed  and  hawed,  and 
couldn't  decide. 

429 


Russell  H.  Conwell 

"At  length,  I  suggested  that  they  put  new  life  into 
the  place.  But  interest  in  the  building  as  a  place  of 
worship  seemed  to  have  departed,  although  they  did 
not  care  to  see  it  torn  down." 

HOW  HE  ENTERED  THE  MINISTRY. 

"On  the  spur  of  the  moment,  I  said  that,  if  they 
would  gather  there  the  following  Sunday  morning,  I 
would  address  them.  A  few  came  at  first,  then  more. 
We  had  to  rent  a  hall  in  another  place.  I  suggested 
that  they  should  get  a  pastor. 

"To  my  surprise,  they  replied  that  if  I  would  be 
their  pastor,  they  would  erect  a  new  church. 

"I  studied  for  the  ministry.  One  day,  I  startled  the 
quaint  village  of  Lexington  by  demolishing  the  little 
old  church  with  an  axe.  The  people  were  aroused  by 
my  spirit,  and  gave  donations  for  a  new  church.  I 
worked  with  the  men  we  hired  to  construct  it,  and 
afterward  attended  the  Newton  Theological  Semi- 
nary. Seventeen  years  ago,  I  came  to  Philadelphia  as 
pastor  of  this  church,  which  then  worshipped  in  a  base- 
ment some  squares  away." 

"But  Temple  College,  Doctor;  how  was  that 
started?" 

"About  fourteen  years  ago  a  poor  young  man  came 
to  me  to  ask  my  advice  how  to  obtain  a  college  educa- 
tion. I  offered  to  be  his  teacher.  Then  others  joined 
until  there  were  six.  The  number  was  gradually  en- 
larged to  forty,  when  the  idea  came  to  me  to  found  a 

43° 


Lecturer  and  Clergyman 

people's  college.  Certain  gentlemen  became  interested, 
and  we  erected  Temple  College,  which  was  then  con- 
nected with  this  church,  but  now  is  a  separate  and  dis- 
tinct institution.  We  hope  shortly  to  have  it  like  the 
New  York  University.  We  have  rented  a  number  of 
outside  buildings,  and  have  a  law  school  and  a  semi- 
nary. About  four  thousand  attend  the  evening  classes, 
while  four  thousand  attend  the  special  day  classes." 

HE  IS  ALWAYS  STUDYING  SOMETHING. 

"How  do  you  manage  to  keep  up  in  all  the  studies  ?" 
I  asked.  Do  you  carry  text-books  around  with  you  in 
your  pockets?" 

"Yes,  and  I  always  have.  I  study  all  the  time.  I 
have  acquired  several  languages  in  that  way." 

"When  do  you  prepare  your  sermons  ?" 

"I  have  never  prepared  a  lecture  or  a  sermon  in  my 
life,  and  I  have  lectured  for  thirty-seven  years.  I  sel- 
dom use  even  notes.  When  in  the  pulpit,  I  rivet  my 
attention  on  preaching,  and  think  of  nothing  else." 

"Application  in  the  most  severe  form,  and  honesty, 
are  the  means  by  which  true  success  is  attained.  No 
matter  what  you  do,  do  it  to  your  utmost.  You  and  I 
may  not  do  something  as  well  as  someone  else,  but  no 
stone  should  be  unturned  to  do  it  to  the  best  of  our 
individual  ability.  I  have  had  a  varied  life,  and  many 
experiences,  and  I  attribute  my  success,  if  you  are  so 
pleased  to  call  it,  to  always  requiring  myself  to  do  my 
level  best,  if  only  in  driving  a  tack  in  straight." 

431 


XLV   : 

An    Inspiring    Personality    Wins     a 
Noted  Preacher  Fame. 

ONE  of  the  brightest  examples  of  early  success 
in  life  is  Frank  W.  Gunsaulus,  D.D.,  one  of 
the  sincerest  friends  of  young  men  striving  to 
climb  upward,  that  America  has  produced. 
Chicago  has  helped  him,  and  he  has  helped  Chicago,  to 
do  great  things.  During  his  six  years  of  ministry  in 
that  city,  before  he  left  the  pulpit  and  became  president 
of  Armour  Institute,  he  founded  two  notable  institu- 
tions and  raised  over  $7,000,000  in  money  for  charita- 
ble purposes.  On  the  stormiest  of  Sunday  evenings, 
after  a  newspaper  announcement  that  he  will  speak,  an 
audience  two  thousand  five  hundred  strong  will  gather 
to  hear  him.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  sight,  during 
one  of  his  series  of  winter  sermons,  for  men  anxious  to' 
hear  the  splendid  orator,  to  be  lifted  through  windows 
of  Central  Music  Hall,  when  no  more  could  get  in  at 
the  doors.  His  most  conspicuous  labor  has  been  the 
founding  of  the  famous  Armour  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology, which  now  has  twelve  hundred  students,  and 
of  which  he  is  the  president. 

432 


Clergyman  and  Educator 

CAN   A  PREACHER   BE  A  POWER? 

I  found  him  in  the  president's  office  of  Armour  In- 
stitute. 

"Do  you  think,"  I  said,  "that  it  is  more  difficult  for 
a  preacher  to  become  a  power  in  a  nation  than  it  is  for 
a  merchant,  a  lawyer,  or  a  politician  ?" 

"Rather  hard  to  say,"  he  answered.  "There  are 
prejudices  against  and  sympathies  in  favor  of  every 
class  and  profession.  I  think,  however,  that  a  preacher 
is  more  like  a  doctor  in  his  career.  He  is  likely  to 
make  a  strong  local  impression,  but  not  apt  to  become  a 
national  figure.  Given  powerful  convictions,  an  under- 
taking of  things  as  they  are  to-day,  and  steady  work  in 
the  direction  of  setting  things  right,  and  you  may  be 
sure  a  man  is  at  least  heading  in  the  direction  of  public 
favor,  whether  he  ever  attains  it  or  not." 

"How  did  you  manage  to  do  the  work  you  have 
done,  in  so  short  a  time?" 

"In  the  first  place,  I  don't  think  I  have  done  so  very 
much ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  the  time  seems  rather 
long  for  what  I  have  done.  I  have  worked  hard,  how- 
ever. 

"I  thought  to  be  a  lawyer  in  my  youth,  and  did  study 
law  and  oratory.  My  father  was  a  country  lawyer  at 
Chesterfield,  Ohio,  where  I  was  born,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ohio  Legislature  during  the  war.  He  was  a 
very  effective  public  speaker  himself  and  thought  that 
I  ought  to  be  an  orator.  So  he  did  everything  to  give 
me  a  bent  in  that  direction,  and  often  took  me  as  many 
as  twenty  miles  to  hear  a  good  oration." 

433 


Frank  W.  Gunsaulus 

MEN  WHO  INFLUENCED  HIM. 

"I  admired  Fisher  Ames,  to  begin  with,  and,  of 
course,  Webster.  I  think  Wendell  Phillips  and  Bishop 
Matthew  Simpson,  whom  I  heard  a  few  times,  had  the 
greatest  influence  on  me.  I  considered  them  wonderful, 
moving  speakers,  and  I  do  yet.  Later  on,  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  and  Phillips  Brooks  attracted  my  admiration." 

"Did  you  have  leisure  for  study  and  time  to  hear 
orations  when  you  were  beginning  life?" 

"In  early  years  I  attended  the  district  school.  From 
the  twelfth  to  my  eighteenth  year,  I  worked  on  the 
farm  and  studied  nights.  For  all  my  father's  urgings 
toward  the  bar,  I  always  felt  an  inward  drawing  toward 
the  ministry,  because  I  felt  that  I  could  do  more  there. 
My  father  was  not  a  member  of  any  church,  though 
my  mother  was  an  earnest  Presbyterian.  Without  any 
prompting  from  my  parents,  I  leaned  toward  the  min- 
istry, and  finally  entered  it  of  my  own  accord.  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  find  a  young  companion  who  was 
also  studying  for  the  ministry.  We  were  the  best  of 
friends  and  helped  each  other  a  great  deal.  It  was  our 
custom  to  prepare  sermons  and  preach  them  in  each 
other's  presence.  Our  audience  in  that  case,  unlike 
that  of  the  church,  never  hesitated  to  point  out  errors. 
The  result  was  that  some  sermons  ended  in  arguments 
between  the  audience  and  the  preacher,  as  to  facts  in- 
volved." 

HE  DID  NOT  PRETEND  TO   PIETY. 

"I  was  graduated  from  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Seminary 

434 


Clergyman  and  Educator 

in  debt.  I  had  no  reputation  for  piety,  and  I  don't  re- 
member that  I  pretended  to  any.  I  had  convictions, 
however,  and  a  burning  desire  to  do  something,  to 
achieve  something  for  the  benefit  of  my  fellowmen,  and 
1  was  ready  for  the  first  opportunity." 

"Was  it  long  in  coming?" 

"No,  but  you  would  not  have  considered  it  much  of 
an  opportunity.  I  took  charge  of  a  small  church  at 
Harrisburg,  Ohio,  at  a  salary  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  dollars  a  year.  In  preaching  regularly  I  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  formulate  some  kind  of  a  theory 
of  life, — to  strive  for  some  definite  object.  I  began  to 
feel  the  weight  of  the  social  problem." 

ARE  THE  DICE  OF  LIFE  LOADED  ? 

"One  important  fact  began  to  make  itself  plain,  and 
that  was  that  the  modern  young  man  is  more  or  less 
discouraged  by  the  growing  belief  that  all  things  are 
falling  into  the  hands  of  great  corporations  and  trusts, 
and  that  the  individual  no  longer  has  much  chance. 
My  father  had  been  more  or  less  of  a  fatalist  in  his 
view  of  life,  and  often  quoted  Emerson  to  me,  to  the 
effect  that  the  dice  of  life  are  loaded,  and  fall  accord- 
ing to  a  plan.  My  mother  leaned  to  the  doctrine  of 
Calvin, — to  predestination.  I  inherited  a  streak  of  the 
same  feeling,  and  the  conditions  I  observed  made  me 
feel  that  there  was  probably  something  in  the  theory. 
I  had  to  battle  this  down  and  convince  myself  that  we 
are  what  we  choose  to  make  ourselves.  Then  I  had  to 

435 


Frank  W.  Gunsaulus 

set  to  work  to  counteract  the  discouraging  view  taken 
by  the  young  people  about  me." 

"You  were  a  Methodist,  then  ?" 

"Yes,  I  was  admitted  to  preach  in  that  body,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  I  had  an  attack  of  transcendental- 
ism, and  fell  out  with  the  Methodist  elder  of  my  dis- 
trict. The  elder  was  wholly  justified.  He  was  a  dry  old 
gentleman,  with  a  fund  of  common  sense.  After  one 
of  my  flights,  in  which  I  advocated  perfection  far  above 
the  range  of  humankind,  he  came  to  me  and  said :  'My 
dear  young  man,  don't  you  know  that  people  have  to 
live  on  this  planet?'  The  rebuke  struck  me  as  earthly 
then,  but  it  has  grown  in  humor  and  common  sense 
since. 

"I  left  voluntarily.  I  knew  I  was  not  satisfactory, 
and  so  I  went  away.  I  married  when  I  was  twenty.  I 
preached  in  several  places,  and  obtained  a  charge  at 
Columbus,  Ohio." 

A  MINISTER'S  TRUE  IDEAL. 

"When  did  you  begin  to  have  a  visible  influence  on 
affairs,  such  as  you  have  since  exercised?" 

"Just  as  soon  as  I  began  to  formulate  and  follow 
what  I  considered  to  be  the  true  ideal  of  the  minister." 

"And  that  ideal  was  ?" 

"That  the  question  to  be  handled  by  a  preacher  must 
not  be  theological,  but  sociological." 

"How  did  this  conviction  work  out  at  Columbus  ?" 

436 


Clergyman  and  Educator 

"The  church  became  too  small  for  the  congregation, 
and  so  we  had  to  move  to  the  opera  house. 

"My  work  there  showed  me  that  any  place  may  be  a 
pulpit, — editorial  chair,  managerial  chair,  almost  any- 
thing. I  began  to  realize  that  a  whole  and  proper 
work  would  be  to  get  hold  of  the  Christian  forces  out- 
side the  ecclesiastical  machine  and  get  them  organized 
into  activity.  I  was  not  sure  about  my  plan  yet,  how- 
ever, so  I  left  Columbus  for  Newtonville,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  took  time  to  review  my  studies.  There 
I  came  under  the  influence  of  Phillips  Brooks.  When  I 
began  once  more  to  get  a  clear  idea  of  what  I  wanted 
to  do,  I  went  to  Baltimore,  on  a  call,  and  preached  two 
years  at  Brown  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church. 

"I  came  to  Chicago  in  1872.  Plymouth  Church 
offered  an  absolutely  free  pulpit,  and  an  opportunity 
to  work  out  some  plans  that  I  thought  desirable." 

HIS  WORK  IN  CHICAGO. 

"How  did  you  go  about  your  work  in  this  city?" 
"The  first  thing  that  seemed  necessary  for  me  to  do 
was  to  find  a  place  where  homeless  boys  of  the  city 
who  had  drifted  into  error  and  troubles  of  various 
kinds  could  be  taken  into  the  country  and  educated.  I 
preached  a  sermon  on  this  subject,  and  one  member 
gave  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  for 
the  purpose.  Plymouth  Church  built  Plymouth  Cot- 
tage there,  and  the  Illinois  Training  School  was  moved 

437 


Frank  W.  Gunsaulus 

there,  and  other  additions  were  made,  gradually  adding 
to  its  usefulness." 

"The  church  grew  under  your  ministration  there, 
did  it  not?" 

"You  can  leave  off  that  about  me.  It  grew,  yes,  and 
we  established  a  mission." 

"Was  there  not  a  sum  raised  for  this  ?" 

"Yes ;  Mr.  Joseph  Armour  gave  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  house  this  mission,  and  the  church  has  since 
aided  it  in  various  ways." 

"This  Armour  Institute  is  an  idea  of  yours,  is  it 
not?" 

"Well,  it  is  in  line  with  my  ideas  in  what  it  accom- 
plishes. It  is  the  outcome  of  Mr.  Armour's  great 
philanthropy." 

"Do  you  find,  now  that  you  have  experimented  so 
much,  that  your  ideals  concerning  what  ought  to  be 
done  for  the  world  were  too  high  ?"  I  asked. 

"On  the  contrary,"  answered  Dr.  Gunsaulus,  "I  have 
sometimes  felt  that  they  were  not  high  enough.  If 
they  had  been  less  than  they  are,  I  should  not  have 
accomplished  what  I  have." 

"What  has  been  your  experience  as  to  working 
hours?" 

"I  have  worked  twelve  and  fourteen,  at  times  even 
eighteen  hours  a  day,  particularly  when  I  was  working 
to  establish  this  institution,  but  I  paid  for  it  dearly.  I 
suffered  a  paralytic  stroke  which  put  me  on  my  back 

438 


Clergyman  and  Educator 

for  nine  months,  and  in  that  time  you  see  I  not  only 
suffered,  but  lost  all  I  had  gained  by  the  extra  hours." 

HOW  TO  MEET  GREAT  EMERGENCIES. 

"You  believe  in  meeting  great  emergencies  with 
great  individual  energy?" 

"There  doesn't  seem  to  be  any  way  out  of  it.  A  man 
must  work  hard,  extra  hard,  at  times,  or  lose  many  a 
battle." 

"You  have  mingled  in  public  affairs  here  in  Chicago, 
also,  have  you  not?" 

"Yes,  I  have  always  tried  to  do  my  share.'* 

"You  believe  the  chances  for  young  men  to-day  are 
as  good  as  in  times  gone  by?" 

"I  certainly  do.  That  is  my  whole  doctrine.  The 
duties  devolving  on  young  men  are  growing  greater, 
more  important,  more  valuable  all  the  time.  The  wants 
of  the  world  seem  to  grow  larger,  more  urgent  every 
day.  What  all  young  men  need  to  do  is  to  train  them- 
selves. They  must  train  their  hands  to  deftness,  train 
their  eyes  to  see  clearly,  and  their  ears  to  hear  and 
understand.  Look  at  the  call  there  is  going  to  be  upon 
young  men  when  this  country  will  be  organizing  its 
new  possessions  and  opening  up  new  fields  of  activity. 
What  the  world  needs  is  young  men  equipped  to  do  the 
work.  There  is  always  work  to  be  done." 

"You  think,  in  your  own  field,  there  is  a  call  for  ener- 
getic young  men  ?" 

"It  never  was  greater.    A  young  preacher  who  looks 

439 


Frank  W.  Gunsaulus 

around  him,  studies  the  conditions,  finds  out  just  a  few 
of  the  ten  thousand  important  things  that  are  going 
begging  for  someone  to  do  them,  and  then  proceeds  to 
work  for  their  accomplishment,  will  succeed  beyond  his 
wildest  dreams. 

"The  world  looks  for  leaders,  it  looks  for  men  who 
are  original,  able  and  practical;  and  all  I  have  got  to 
say  to  a  young  man  is  simply  to  find  out  clearly  all 
about  a  need  in  a  certain  direction,  and  then  lead  on 
to  the  alleviation  of  it.  Money,  influence,  honor,  will 
all  follow  along  after,  to  help." 


44° 


XLVI 

From  the  Forge  to  the  Pulpit,  a  Life 
of  Devotion  and  Application. 

f  f  £">(  O  you  want  me  to  tell  you  of  myself,  —  to 
^         'blaw  my  ain  harn/  as  we  used  to  say  in 


old  Yorkshire.  Well,  I'm  not  in  love  with 
the  undertaking,  for  what  we  call  a  self- 
made  man  usually  shows  that  he  has  made  a  pretty 
poor  fist  of  it  when  he  begins  to  describe  the  job  him- 
self. However,  if  an  outline  of  my  life  be  of  service, 
I  give  it  gladly.  The  beginning  was  in  the  hamlet  of 
Ilkley,  Yorkshire,  England,  seventy-five  years  ago.  I 
was  born  well;  that  is,  I  was  born  of  simple,  hard- 
working folk  who  inspired  in  me  very  early  a  hearty 
respect  for  work.  My  mother  was  a  noble  woman.  I 
can  see  the  old  home  now,  —  the  bit  of  grass  in  front, 
the  plum  tree,  the  whitewashed  walls,  and  within,  the 
two  rooms  with  floor  of  flags,  the  old  prints  on  the 
walls,  the  highly  polished  chairs  and  bureau,  the  tall 
clock  that  was  always  too  fast  at  bedtime  and  in  the 
morning,  and  always  too  slow  at  mealtime,  the  little 
shelf  of  books,  —  Bunyan,  'Robinson  Crusoe,'  Gold- 
smith, and  the  Bible,  full  of  pictures.  Until  I  was 
eight  years  old,  I  went  to  school  to  old  Willie  Hardie, 

441 


Robert  Collyer 

who  tried  to  find  in  me  the  spring  of  what  we  called  the 
humanities  in  the  same  way  that  they  used  to  try  to 
locate  a  spring  of  water,  namely :  with  a  hazel  rod." 

THE  RIVALS :  BOOKS  AND  THE  MAIDEN. 

"All  the  schooling  I  ever  had  under  the  master  was 
finished  in  my  eighth  year,  when  I  went  to  earn  my 
own  living  in  a  linen  factory.  There  was  an  article  of 
faith  in  our  good  home  creed  about  which  both  my 
father  and  mother  were  of  one  mind, — the  boys  must 
learn  a  trade.  So,  after  six  years  in  the  factory,  I  was 
apprenticed  to  the  village  blacksmith.  I  was  a  hard- 
working, conscientious  boy,  but  full  of  mischief  and 
fond  of  fun.  I  had,  however,  a  ravenous  appetite  for 
books.  I  remember  once,  when  quite  small,  I  stood 
for  a  long  time  before  a  shop  window  with  a  big 
English  penny  in  my  hand,  debating  whether  I  should 
spend  it  for  a  particular  kind  of  candy,  of  which  I  was 
very  fond,  or  for  a  little  paper-covered  book  of  travels. 
At  length  I  went  in  and  bought  the  book.  At  meals  I 
used  to  read,  and  even  when  I  was  courting  the  lass 
whom  I  made  my  wife,  I  read  all  the  books  in  her 
father's  house.  I  am  surprised  she  did  not  give  me 
the  mitten,  and  it  would  have  served  me  right,  too. 

"Books  were  not  only  pleasing  to  me,  but  were  my 
passion.  Give  a  young  man  or  maiden  a  passion  for 
anything, — for  books,  business,  painting,  teaching, 
farming,  mechanics  or  music,  I  care  not  what,  and  you 
give  him  or  her  a  lever  with  which  to  lift  their  world, 

442 


The  Blacksmith  Preacher 

and  a  patent  of  nobility,  if  the  thing  they  do  is  noble. 
So  I  call  my  reading  my  college  course.  It  was  not  an 
adequate  college  nor  an  adequate  course,  and  there  have 
been  times  when  I  felt  a  trifle  sad  that  there  should 
have  been  no  chance  for  me  at  a  good,  all-round  educa- 
tion. But  there  is  a  chance  in  the  everlasting  hunger 
to  read  books,  and  it  is  with  reading  as  it  is  with  eat- 
ing,— you  grow  choice  when  there  is  a  plenty.  You 
instinctively  learn  to  distinguish  what  is  sweet  and 
wholesome  and  what  is  neither,  and  then  you  read  as 
you  eat, — only  the  best. 

"A  great  sorrow  came  to  me  in  1849.  As  a  result 
of  it,  I  found  my  way  into  a  Methodist  meeting  house, 
and  began  to  express  what  I  felt.  From  a  few  words, 
uttered  standing  by  my  seat  in  the  meeting,  I  began  to 
preach  at  irregular  intervals ;  and  when  I  did,  it  became 
the  custom,  after  a  while,  for  some  one  to  go  through 
the  village,  ringing  a  bell  and  calling  out :  'The  black- 
smith is  going  to  preach  this  morning.'  The  working 
people  came  to  hear  me  because  I  was  one  of  them- 
selves. Then  they  would  have  me  preach  regularly, — 
at  nothing  a  Sunday  and  find  myself. 

"Sometimes  I  would  forget  the  flight  of  time  and 
preach  for  two  hours  or  more.  As  I  look  back  upon 
the  poor  mortals  who  sat  under  my  ministrations  for 
such  a  length  of  time,  I  am  reminded  of  the  judge  who, 
when  asked  how  long  a  sermon  ought  to  last,  replied: 
'About  twenty  minutes,  with  leanings  to  the  side  of 
mercy.' " 

443 


Robert  Collyer 

THE  LIGHT  THAT  LED  OVER  THE  SEA. 

"My  only  worldly  ambition  was  to  make  my  way  as 
a  blacksmith,  but  one  day  there  came  to  me  in  a  flash 
the  thought  that  I  must  go  to  America,  where  I  would 
have  to  bow  to  no  class,  but  would  be  as  good  a  man 
as  any.  Many  times  in  my  life  these  sudden  burstings 
of  light,  half  thought,  half  feeling,  have  come  to  me; 
and,  when  they  do  come,  I  cease  to  reason  about  the 
matter.  I  simply  obey  the  impulse  with  all  the  power 
of  my  will.  It  would  have  taken  tremendous  difficul- 
ties to  have  kept  me  from  embarking  for  this  country 
after  the  flash  came,  and  so,  one  fine  spring  morning 
in  1850,  I  and  my  little  family,  with  our  small  store  of 
worldly  goods,  went  aboard  the  old  ship  'Roscius,' 
made  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  we  could  in  the  steer- 
age, and  a  month  later  were  in  New  York. 

"I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  settle  in  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia,  and  there  I  soon  found  work  at  the  anvil. 
It  was  lucky  I  did,  for,  when  we  reached  our  destina- 
tion, my  whole  capital  amounted  to  only  about  twenty 
dollars.  We  made  ourselves  a  little  home,  and  I 
worked  at  my  trade  for  the  next  nine  years,  except 
during  the  panic  of  1857,  when  I  carried  the  hod  and 
broke  stone  on  the  turnpike  for  a  dollar  a  day.  Mean- 
while, I  was  preaching  o'  Sundays,  again  at  nothing  a 
Sunday.  In  1859,  I  was  asked  to  devote  myself  alto- 
gether to  preaching, — to  go  to  Chicago,  as  a  minister  to 
the  poor.  Well,  I  went.  I  said  good-by  forever  to  the 

444 


The  Blacksmith  Preacher 

anvil,  in  whose  ringing  voice  I  had  heard  so  many 
years  the  old  sermon  on  the  nobility  of  work." 

GENIUS  IS  DEVOTION  AND  APPLICATION. 

"Before  I  had  been  in  Chicago  a  great  while,  some 
people  got  together  and  built  a  church,  and  appointed 
me  pastor  of  it,  hardly  so  much  as  saying  to  me  'by  your 
leave.'  It  was  named  the  Unity  Church,  and  I  remained 
in  charge  of  it  till  1879,  when  I  came  to  New  York  to 
preach  in  the  Church  of  the  Messiah. 

"Here  I  have  since  remained.  My  life,  you  see,  is 
divided  into  two  sections,— forty  years  in  the  pulpit, 
twenty-one  years  at  the  anvil.  I  have  worked  on  long 
lines,  and  I  will  say  to  young  men  that,  when  your 
homes  and  your  schools  have  done  all  they  can  for  you, 
and  you  begin  the  work  of  life,  you  must  take  hold 
with  a  will  and  be  content  to  work  hard  on  long  lines. 
People  say  that  such  and  such  a  person  has  genius  for 
what  he  or  she  takes  in  hand,  and  that  is  the  secret  of 
the  success  attained.  But  I  say  that  genius  means 
strong  devotion  and  steadfast  application.  You  may 
imagine  that  you  can  go  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of 
the  ladder  at  one  jump,  but  it  is  not  true.  Going  up 
tl>e  ladder  at  one  jump  is  like  the  toy  monkey  that  goes 
up  at  a  jump  and  conies  down  head  first.  The  men 
and  women  who  achieve  true  success  are  all  hard  climb- 
ers. They  work  in  one  direction.  Our  course  must  not 
be  like  a  cow-path,  all  over  the  pasture  and  into  the 
woods,  for  that  may  mean  through  the  woods  into  the 
wilderness. 

445* 


Hubert  Collyer 

"I  want  to  say,  too,  that,  if  we  expect  to  do  well  in 
this  life,  we  must  keep  well,  by  all  the  means  in  our 
power ; — eat  well,  and  sleep  well  eight  hours  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  Young  men  should  choose,  as  early  as 
they  can,  a  good  and  true  woman  for  a  wife,  and  look 
forward  to  a  noble  family  of  children.  My  ambition 
was  to  have  seven,  and  the  all- wise  Father  gave  me 
nine.  If  a  young  man  has  good  mental  and  physical 
health  and  works  hard,  his  life  will  be  sweet  and  clean. 
He  will  do  his  day's  work  well  and  his  life's  work  well, 
and  at  the  end  he  will  be  able  to  say,  with  Adam  in  the 
play  :— 

"  Though  I  look  old,  yet  am  I  strong  and  lusty, 

For  in  my  youth   I  never  did  apply  hot  and   rebellious 

liquors  to  my  blood, 

And  did  not  with  unbashful  forehead  woo 
The  means  of  weakness  and  debility. 
Therefore  my  age  is  lusty  winter,  frosty,  but  kindly.' " 


446 


XLVII 

Canada's  Leading  Conservative  Extols 
"the  Country  of  the  Twentieth 
Century." 

THOUGH  he  lost  his  fight  against  Sir  Wilfrid 
Laurier  for  the  Premiership  of  Canada  in  the 
general    election    of    1904,    Robert    Laird 
Borden  is  still  one  of  the  Dominion's  im- 
portant figures. 

He  is  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  has  conspicuous 
ability,  remarkable  energy  and  an  indomitable  will. 
What  a  man  with  this  combination  of  qualities  sets  his 
mind  upon  he  usually  obtains.  Mr.  Borden  freely 
acknowledges  his  ambition  to  reach  the  top  notch  of 
political  success,  and  there  are  a  great  many  Cana- 
dians who  believe  that  he  will  yet  be  Premier. 

His  party,  in  spite  of  his  defeat,  has  strong  faith  in 
him,  and  his  opponents,  now  triumphant,  admit  that 
he  is  formidable — a  menace  to  their  continuing  suc- 
cess. They  feel  that  under  the  scrutiny  of  Borden, 
who  is  notably  quick  to  detect  weak  spots  in  the 
armor  of  the  enemy,  and  to  drive  home  strong 
thrusts,  they  must  put  their  best  foot  front.  Thus, 
even  in  defeat,  Mr.  Borden  is  a  power. 

447 


Robert  Laird  Borden 

My  first  impression  of  him  was  obtained  in  Montreal. 
He  was  walking  through  a  hotel  rotunda  with  the 
long,  swift  strides  that  bespeak  much  physical  energy. 
His  head  was  bowed  and  his  eyes  were  knit.  He 
struck  me  at  the  moment  as  being  a  personification 
of  determination  and  concentration.  It  was  a  little 
later,  in  his  room,  that  I  had  my  talk  with  him.  Mr. 
Borden's  head  is  large.  His  brow  rises  straight  up 
from  heavy  brows  and  eyes  which  are  deep-set  and 
rather  small,  and  twinkle  with  shrewdness  and  good 
nature.  The  lower  part  of  his  face  is  heavy,  indi- 
cating the  strength  of  will  and  purpose  which  have 
carried  him  to  the  front  in  Canadian  politics. 

"I  am  much  interested  in  success,"  he  said  with  a 
smile.  "Indeed,  the  air  in  Canada  nowadays  is 
charged  with  it.  We  have  a  feeling  that  a  far  larger 
part  of  the  success  of  Canada  lies  in  the  future  rather 
than  in  the  past.  While  the  United  States  developed 
more  in  the  nineteenth  century  than  any  other  coun- 
try in  the  world,  we  believe  that  Canada  will  show 
similar  industrial  advances  within  the  next  quarter 
of  a  century.  We  entertain  the  idea  that  ours  will 
prove  to  be  the  country  of  the  twentieth  century. 
It  is  not  yet  as  widely  known  as  it  should  be  that  we 
have  a  somewhat  larger  area  in  land  than  the  United 
States  and  that  this  land  is  not  rendered  sterile  by  the 
winter  reign  of  the  mythical  personage  called  '  our 
lady  of  the  snows,'  but  is  capable  of  remarkable  pro- 
ductivity. 

448 


Canadian  Political  Leader 

"We  are  looking  forward  and  not  backward,  and 
therefore  I  am  not  particularly  interested  in  the  un- 
important events  of  long  ago;  but  if  you  must  know, 
I  will  say  that  I  was  born  in  the  village  of  Grand  Pre, 
in  Nova  Scotia,  in  1854.  Some  of  my  ancestors  had 
lived  in  the  United  States.  One  of  them,  my  great- 
grandfather, was  the  law  partner  of  Pierpont  Ed- 
wards, in  New  Haven,  Conn.  They  had  one  of  the 
largest  practices  in  that  section  of  the  country,  but 
when  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out  my  forefather 
remained  loyal  to  King  George.  He  migrated  with 
his  family  to  Nova  Scotia,  and  there  the  family  has 
since  remained. 

"Yes,  my  village  is  the  one  which  Longfellow  has 
described  in  his  poem  'Evangeline';  and  yet,  taking 
full  advantage  of  his  poetical  license,  Longfellow  put 
much  in  his  picture  that  is  purely  imaginary.  It  is, 
however,  a  little  community  whose  inhabitants  lead 
the  simple  life,  acquire  robust  physiques,  and  strong 
opinons  of  right  and  wrong. 

"I  know  of  no  better  environment  than  one  like 
this  for  the  passing  of  the  days  of  early  youth.  The 
impressions  stamped  on  the  mind  of  a  boy  by  such 
people  and  surroundings  never  forsake  him.  How- 
ever different  from  the  simple  beliefs  of  these  vil- 
lagers his  standpoint  may  eventually  become,  these 
first  teachings  remain  what  might  be  called  the  oak 
rafters  of  his  philosophy. 

"I  feel  that  not  a  little  of  whatever  I  have  achieved 

449 


Robert  Laird  Borden 

is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  years  of  my  boyhood  and 
youth  were  spent  in  an  environment  of  simplicity.  I 
was  an  industrious  student,  and  when  I  was  about 
fourteen  I  was  made  a  teacher  in  the  Acadia  Villa 
Academy  in  my  native  country.  It  was  in  this  school 
that  I  had  obtained  my  preliminary  education,  and  I 
presume  I  did  right  in  returning  to  the  institution  as 
teacher  the  modicum  of  knowledge  I  had  acquired. 
When  I  was  still  in  my  teens  I  went  to  the  United 
States  and  became  an  instructor  in  Glenwood  Insti- 
tute in  New  Jersey.  This  proved  to  be  excellent 
training  for  me.  I  think  that  an  experience  of  this 
kind  is  one  of  the  best  things  in  the  world  for  a 
young  man,  for  the  reason  that  the  necessity  in  it  to 
command  others  teaches  him  the  more  easily  to  com- ' 
mand  himself.  It  increases  his  dignity,  self-reliance 
and  self-respect. 

"I  decided,  however,  that  I  did  not  care  to  make 
teaching  my  life  work,  and  so  I  returned  to  Nova 
Scotia  in  1874  and  began  the  study  of  law  in  the 
offices  in  Halifax  of  the  firm  of  Weatherby  &  Gra- 
ham. In  1878  I  was  called  to  the  bar  and  a  few 
months  afterwards  was  offered  a  partnership  by  J.  P. 
Chapman,  of  Kentville,  now  a  county  court  judge. 

"Together  we  worked  up  quite  a  large  practice,  but 
owing  to  certain  circumstances  I  entered  the  firm  of 
Thompson,  Graham  &  Tupper.  It  was  not  long  after- 
ward that  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  Sir  John 
Thompson,  became  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and 

450 


Canadian  Political  Leader 

in  the  course  of  time  Sir  Charles  Tupper,  one  of  the 
other  members,  was  called  to  the  cabinet  of  Sir  John 
A.  McDonald.  Subsequently  Mr.  Graham,  the  third 
member  of  the  firm,  became  Judge  in  Equity  for  the 
Province  of  Quebec. 

"I  believe  that  a  large  part  of  anything  I  have 
achieved  has  been  due  to  the  fact  that  I  was  associated 
with  able  men  during  the  impressible  period  of  young 
manhood.  While  I  did  not  realize  it  at  that  time,  I 
have  often  thought  since  that  one  of  the  most  fortu- 
nate circumstances  in  my  life  was  my  close  contact 
with  these  men.  By  this  means  I  not  only  absorbed  a 
greater  knowledge  of  the  law  than  otherwise  would 
have  been  the  case,  but  also  became  imbued  with  cer- 
tain principles  that  I  have  always  retained. 

"The  calling  of  these  gentlemen  to  high  places 
under  the  Government  left  me  to  the  position  of 
senior  partner,  and  the  firm  name  eventually  became 
Borden,  Ritchie,  Parker  &  Chisholm.  We  did  a  large 
business,  and  on  the  strength  of  this  I  was  elected  and 
held  for  several  years  the  position  of  president  of 
the  Nova  Scotia  Barristers  Society.  It  was  in  1896 
that  I  first  entered  politics,  representing  Halifax  as 
the  Conservative  party's  candidate  for  the  Dominion 
Parliament." 

"To  what  in  particular,  Mr.  Borden,"  I  inquired, 
"do  you  attribute  the  fact  that  you  speedily  arose  to 
leadership  of  your  party  in  Parliament?" 

Mr.  Borden  pondered  a  moment,  and  then  said: 

451 


Robert  Laird  Borden 

"I  can  hardly  answer  that  question,  but  I  will  say 
that  perhaps  the  influence  I  have  been  able  to  gain 
in  Parliament  has  been  due  to  the  fact  that  I  have 
had  very  strong  convictions  on  all  public  questions, 
and  have  let  slip  few  opportunities  to  express  them. 
I  am  usually  able  to  maintain  the  positions  I  take  in 
argument,  for  the  reason  that  I  am  always  careful  to 
fortify  myself  with  facts  and  with  as  extensive  a  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  the  subject  as  possible  before 
going  into  a  debate  or  going  before  the  House  on 
any  particular  issue. 

"I  believe  I  have  the  reputation  of  being  a  hard 
worker.  However  this  may  be,  I  will  say  that  I  have 
always  made  it  a  rule  to  give  painstaking  attention  to 
seemingly  unimportant  details  in  my  legal  cases,  and 
have  frequently  won  them  on  this  account.  This 
habit,  acquired  in  my  youth,  of  looking  after  small 
matters,  has  made  it  much  easier  for  me  to  take  care 
of  the  large  affairs  of  my  clients  and  of  my  party 
since  I  have  entered  politics.  I  know  of  no  surer 
road  to  both  general  and  political  success  than  the 
obvious  highway  of  hard  work,  coupled,  of  course, 
with  common  sense. 

"While  the  law  is  the  profession  which  most  natur- 
ally leads  the  young  man  into  the  political  arena,  I 
always  like  to  see  the  farmer  in  politics,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  latter  usually  has  a  certain  strong  sim- 
plicity and  a  degree  of  sense  that  often  discounts  and 
renders  weak  in  comparison  the  learning  and  polish 

4^2 


Canadian  Political  Leader 

of  the  professional  man.  The  farmers  will  be  the 
dominating  class  in  the  development  of  the  North- 
west, and  I  hope  to  see  more  and  more  of  them  in 
politics." 

In  his  contact  with  his  fellow-men  Mr.  Borden's 
manner  is  marked  by  a  quiet  dignity  and  cordiality 
that  has  won  him  many  friends.  While  he  has  numer- 
ous political  enemies,  there. are  few  men  in  the  Do- 
minion who  are  as  popular  personally.  Mr.  Borden 
likes  to  meet  and  exchange  views  with  the  average 
citizen.  A  little  story  is  told  of  him  in  his  recent 
campaign  which  is  characteristic.  It  seems  that  he 
was  on  a  night  journey  on  a  train  and  could  not  sleep. 
A  like  wakefulness  afflicted  a  young  man  in  the  same 
car,  and  at  midnight  they  found  themselves  together 
in  the  smoking  compartment.  Talk  began  at  once, 
and  throughout  the  dragging  hours  these  two  dis- 
cussed the  great  questions  of  the  day.  The  young 
man,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  States,  did  not 
recognize  his  companion,  and  the  next  morning  in 
Montreal  he  remarked  to  his  friends  upon  his  very 
interesting  fellow-traveler  of  the  night  before.  He 
said  that  they  had  chiefly  talked  politics  and  that  his 
acquaintance  had  been  so  convincing  that  he  had  been 
won  over  to  the  Conservative  party.  He  described 
his  fellow-passenger,  and  very  much  to  his  astonish- 
ment was  informed  that  the  latter  was  Mr.  Borden 
himself. 


453 


XLVIII 

An  Eminent  Scholar  Advocates  the 
Union  of  Canada  and  the  United 
States. 

CANADA'S  "grard  old  man"  is  Professor  Gold- 
win  Smith.    With  all  his  opinions  Canadians 
do  not  agree,  but  they  are  united  in  their 
admiration  for  his  qualities  as  a  man  and  a 
scholar.    A  mention  of  his  name  brings  an  expression 
of  liking  and  pride  to  the  face  of  every  intelligent 
resident  of  the  Dominion.     A  mention  of  his  well- 
known  belief  that  Canada  and  the  United  States  will 
eventually  be  one  brings  a  smile  which  well  expresses 
the   average   Canadian's    feeling   that   their   leading 
philosopher's  idea  of  the  union  of  the  great  common- 
wealths is  too  abstract  and  remote  to  arouse  alarm  in 
the  patriotic  breast. 

In  spite  of  this  difference  of  opinion  the  people  of 
the  Dominion  highly  appreciate  Professor  Smith's 
notable  attainments  as  a  student  and  a  writer.  They 
realize  that  from  his  vantage  point  of  long  residence 
in  both  England  and  the  United  States,  as  well  as  in 
Canada,  and  from  his  careful  and  enlightened  study  of 
the  problems  of  these  countries,  his  outlook  is  per- 
haps broader  than  that  of  any  other  man  in  Canada. 

454 


Canada's  "Grand  Old  Man" 

Professor  Smith,  now  in  his  eighty-first  year,  lives  in 
an  ideal  way  in  his  Toronto  residence,  The  Grange. 
It  was  here  that  I  called  on  him. 

The  Scotch  lodgekeeper  and  his  wife,  in  their  quaint 
little  home  at  the  gate,  were  quite  in  keeping  with  the 
air  of  dignified  calm  which  enfolds  The  Grange.  The 
house,  standing  well  back  in  the  grounds,  is  repre- 
sentative of  the  best  architecture  of  a  century  ago. 
It  suggests  reminiscence  and  contemplation.  It  has 
the  mellow  atmosphere  of  the  past.  When  approach- 
ing it  along  the  gravel  walk  you  feel  that  you  have 
left  behind  the  hurly  burly  of  everyday  life;  that  this  is 
a  most  fitting  abode  for  one  who  stands  apart  from 
';he  crowd  to  watch  the  currents  of  life  flow  by. 

As  the  house  is,  so  is  the  man.  Tall,  slender  and 
a  trifle  bent  in  figure,  with  a  thin  ascetic  face,  Pro- 
fessor Smith  impressed  me  as  a  man  who  contem- 
plates calmly  and  critically,  but  with  a  very  kindly 
eye,  as  from  high  ground,  the  agitations  and  excite- 
ments of  the  times.  I  made  a  remark  to  him  as  to  the 
quietude  of  his  surroundings. 

"Yes,  I  am  very  fond  of  the  old  place,"  he  replied, 
his  eyes  kindling  with  interest.  "I  am  proud  of  it. 
You  have  noticed  that  all  of  the  woodwork  is  black 
walnut,  which  was  the  prevailing  mode  in  interior 
decorations  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. I  have  permitted  nothing  to  be  changed.  I 
am  fond  of  old  things,  perhaps,  because  I  am  old  my- 
self." 

455 


Goldwin  Smith 

"Your  activities  make  it  rather  difficult  to  believe 
that  statement,"  I  said. 

"Well,  I  have  always  tried  to  retain  a  youthful 
spirit,"  answered  Professor  Smith,  with  the  engaging 
smile  which  is  characteristic  of  him,  "and  I  have  been 
able  to  keep  a  fair  amount  of  physical  vigor  by  means 
of  plenty  of  exercise  and  regularity  in  my  mode  of 
living.  I  have  always  been  very  fond  of  walking,  and 
have  done  a  great  deal  of  it.  While  I  am  not  as  in- 
dustrious in  this  respect  as  I  used  to  be,  I  make  a 
point  of  driving  out  in  my  carriage  every  afternoon. 
I  rarely  let  anything  interfere  with  this,  because  it 
has  a  tendency  to  give  me  new  vitality  both  in  spirit 
and  body." 

"While  your  house  is  old,  Professor  Smith,  "  I  re- 
marked, "this  country  in  which  you  live,  Canada,  is 
young." 

"Yes,  we  have  not  progressed  as  rapidly  as  the 
United  States;  we  are  yet,  in  many  respects,  a  people 
of  beginnings.  Canadians  look  forward  to  the  future 
with  very  optimistic  spirit.  We  see  possibilities  of 
great  industrial  and  agricultural  development." 

"The  average  Canadian  does  not  look  as  far  into 
the  future  as  you  do  yourself." 

"  No,  perhaps  not,"  smilingly  replied  Professor 
Smith.  "I  believe  that  the  great  majority  of  our 
people  are  not  at  all  in  sympathy  with  my  opinion  that 
Canada  will  eventually  become  a  part  of  the  United 
States.  I  have,  however,  long  held  this  belief.  It 

456 


Canada's  "Grand  Old  Man" 

has  been  my  idea  for  many  years  that  the  whole  conti- 
nent of  North  America  should  be,  and  will  be  even- 
tually, given  up  to  republican  institutions.  It  has 
been  said  of  me  that  I  left  Great  Britain  in  order  to  be 
able  to  live  in  the  republican  atmosphere  of  the  New 
World.  While  this  is  not  altogether  true,  I  am  won- 
derfully interested  in  the  great  experiment  of  a  gov- 
ernment by  the  people  which  is  now  being  tried  by  the 
United  States. 

"I  think  the  experiment  will  prove  a  success,  and 
that  in  the  end  all  of  the  commonwealths  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic  will  come  sufficiently  under  the  influ- 
ence of  this  form  of  government  to  embrace  it.  The 
Old  World  powers  are  by  degrees  losing  their  de- 
pendencies in  the  New  World.  I  long  ago  said,  for 
example,  that  Spain's  hold  upon  Cuba  was  becoming 
weaker  and  weaker,  and  would  sooner  or  later  become 
altogether  relaxed.  I  believe  that  this  is  likewise  true 
of  Great  Britain  in  her  relationship  with  Canada.  A 
wide  ocean  divides  the  mother  country  from  her  great 
colony  in  North  America,  while  merely  an  artificial 
boundary  line  divides  us  from  the  powerful  republic 
to  the  South. 

The  bond  between  Canada  and  the  United  States 
is  gradually  becoming  closer  in  spite  of  the  little  inter- 
vening frictions  which  from  time  to  time  arise.  I 
am  aware  that  many  Canadians  express  an  antipathy 
for  the  United  States,  but  this  amounts  to  little  more 
than  talk.  Young  Canadians  have  been  for  many 

457 


Goldwin  Smith 

years  seeking  opportunities  in  the  United  States,  and 
at  the  present  time  many  thousands  of  agriculturists 
from  the  Western  States  are  annually  migrating  into 
our  Northwest  to  take  advantage  there  of  the  produc- 
tivity of  the  virgin  soil.  Numerous  American  capital- 
ists are  investing  their  money  on  our  side  of  the  line, 
and  thus  the  commercial  connection  is  constantly  be- 
coming closer. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  in  some  particulars 
more  intimate  union  between  Canada  and  the  United 
States  than  between  some  of  our  own  provinces.  I 
have  often  said  to  my  friends  that  the  beginning  of 
wisdom  in  regard  to  Canada  is  the  realization  of  the 
fact  that  the  natural  avenues  of  traffic  and  communi- 
cation lie  north  and  south  rather  than  east  and  west. 
We  must  remember  that  between  various  parts  of  the 
Dominion  nature  has  set  up  very  formidable  barriers, 
great  lakes,  high  mountains,  and  wide  expanses  of  un- 
cultivated territory.  We  must  not  forget,  further- 
more, that  there  are  two  distinct  races  in  Canada,  dif- 
ferent in  religion,  sympathies  and  general  character- 
istics. Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  without  compactness 
in  territory  and  without  a  homogeneous  spirit  among 
the  people,  Canada  is  not  a  united  country.  She 
needs  the  United  States  and,  by  the  same  token,  the 
United  States  needs  Canada.  While  I  don't  expect  to 
see  it  in  my  own  time,  I  feel  justified  in  prophesying 
that  the  passing  years  of  the  twentieth  century  will 
bring  an  equal  union  between  our  country  and  the 

458 


Canada's  "Grand  Old  Man" 

States.  Together  they  will  rise  to  greater  heights  of 
power,  influence  and  civilization  than  any  nation  has 
yet  attained. 

"I  like  to  see  Canadians  go  to  the  United  States 
and  I  like  to  see  young  Americans  come  to  Canada. 
A  young  man  should  always  have  courage  to  seek  the 
fields  which  seem  to  be  most  promising  for  him. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  a  changed  environment  is  a 
stimulus  to  his  energy  and  ambition.  A  knowledge 
of  the  different  sections  certainly  gives  him  a  broader 
outlook  and  adds  materially  to  his  equipment  for  the 
battle  of  life." 


4*9 


XLIX 

After  Failure  as  a  Grocer,  He  Be- 
comes the  Ablest  Administrator 
Quebec  Has  Ever  Had. 


THE  busiest  man  in  Canada,"  exclaimed  a 
friend  in  close  touch  with  the  govern- 
ment, when  I  told  him  that  I  desired  to 
meet  the  Hon.  S.  N.  Parent,  Premier  of 
the  Province  of  Quebec. 

"Parent,  you  know,"  continued  my  informant,  "is 
not  only  Premier  of  the  Province,  but  is  also  mayor 
of  the  City  of  Quebec,  minister  of  lands,  mines  and 
fisheries,  president  of  the  company  that  is  building  a 
seven-million-dollar  bridge  across  the  St.  Lawrence, 
director  in  the  Quebec  Railway  Light  and  Power 
Company,  director  in  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  and 
a  lawyer  with  the  largest  practice  in  the  Province." 

This  information  as  to  his- surprising  range  of  activ- 
ities, bespeaking  a  man  of  remarkable  achievement, 
made  me  more  than  ever  anxious  to  talk  with  Mr. 
Parent,  and  I  said  so  to  my  friend. 

"Well,"  he  exclaimed,  "the  premier  is  personally 
one  of  the  most  approachable  men  alive,  but  all  day 
long  in  the  ante-rooms  of  his  various  offices  there  are 

460 


Premier,  Mayor,  and  Lawyer    , 

crowds  waiting  to  see  him.  He  never  appears  in  the 
streets  of  Quebec  on  foot,  but  always  in  his  cab,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  if  he  were  walking  so  many 
persons  would  stop  him  that  he  would  be  hours  get- 
ting to  his  destination.  His  lieutenants  hedge  him  in, 
but  once  past  them  you  are  all  right." 

"What  would  be  a  good  time  and  place  to  call  on 
him?" 

"In  answer  to  that  I  will  give  you  an  outline  of  his 
movement  for  his  business  day,  and  you  may  judge 
for  yourself.  Promptly  every  morning  at  half-past 
seven  he  arrives  at  his  law  office  in  Lower  Town  and 
sees  clients  there  until  ten  o'clock,  when  he  goes  to 
the  City  Hall  to  take  up  his  work  as  Mayor.  Here 
he  keeps  in  close  touch  with  every  detail  of  city  ad- 
ministration. 

"It  has  been  said  that  not  a  nail  is  driven  on  public 
property  without  his  knowledge.  This,  of  course,  is 
an  exaggeration,  but  it  is  the  truth  that  he  is  the  first 
mayor  Quebec  has  had  in  sixty  years  who  has  been 
able  to  run  the  municipal  government  without  an  an- 
nual deficit  in  the  treasury.  And  yet  with  all  his 
economy  he  has  instituted  numerous  public  improve- 
ments. On  the  strength  of  this  work  for  Quebec  he 
has  several  times  been  reflected  Mayor  and  has  held 
the  office  for  eleven  years. 

"After  an  hour  at  the  City  Hall  he  is  driven  to  Par- 
liament House,  where  he  transacts  the  business  of  the 
Province  until  half-past  one.  Here,  in  addition  to  his 

461 


S.  N.  Parent 

general  work,  he  gives  special  attention  to  the  land 
and  fisheries  department,  which  he  has  made  the  most 
important  in  the  provincial  government.  He  has  so 
developed  it  that  it  yields  a  larger  income  than  any 
other. 

"Mr.  Parent  takes  a  light  luncheon  at  half-past  one, 
and  remains  in  Parliament  House  until  four  o'clock, 
when  he  returns  to  his  law  office,  where  he  gives  him- 
self up  to  cases  and  to  his  financial  interests  until 
seven.  Now  comes  a  dinner  which  is  hardly  more 
hearty  than  his  luncheon,  and  after  this  he  attends  the 
meetings  of  committees,  which  assemble  in  the 
evening  chiefly  to  suit  his  convenience.  This  schedule 
is  as  regular  as  clockwork.  The  Premier  makes  a 
point  of  letting  nothing  interfere  with  it.  Exactly 
at  the  times  and  places  I  mention  you  can  find 
him." 

Armed  with  this  knowledge,  and  with  a  letter  of 
introduction,  I  sought  the  Premier  at  the  House  of 
Parliament — a  stately  building  of  massive  stone, 
standing  out  against  the  sky  on  the  heights  of  the 
"Gibraltar  of  America,"  and  commanding  a  huge 
panoramic  view  of  the  Lower  Town,  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence and  St.  Charles  rivers,  of  the  Isle  of  Orleans, 
the  wide  valley  of  St.  Anne  and  the  sweeping  lines 
of  the  Laurentian  Mountains. 

The  ante-room  was  crowded,  as  I  had  been  told  it 
would  be,  but  an  attendant  at  once  took  in  my  letter 
and  almost  immediately  returned. 

462 


Premier,  Mayor,  and  Lawyer 

"The  Premier  cannot  see  you  to-day,"  he  said,  "but 
will  be  very  glad  to  meet  you  at  this  office  at  twelve 
sharp  to-morrow.  If  you  would  accept  a  little  word 
o-'f  advice,"  he  added,  official  manner  giving  way 
to  French-Canadian  courtesy,  "I  would  say  that  it 
would  be  well  to  be  exactly  on  time.  By  five  minutes 
past  twelve,  if  you  are  not  here,  the  Premier  will  be 
engaged  with  some  one  else,  and  then  your  op- 
portunity will  be  gone  He  never  spends  time  in 
waiting  This  is  what  you  might  call  one  of  his  peculi- 
arities." 

I  was  on  time.  At  precisely  twelve  an  official 
passed  out  of  the  inner  room  and  I  was  invited  in.  As 
the  Premier  swung  about  in  his  chair  with  the  quick 
glance  and  motion  that  are  characteristic  with  him,  I 
saw  a  man  with  a  high  forehead,  a  prominent  nose, 
keen  gray  eyes  and  a  small  mustache.  His  age  is 
fifty-three,  but  he  appears  much  younger. 

"I  am  interviewing  the  most  successful  men  in 
Canada,"  I  said,  "and  so,  naturally,  have  called  on 
you." 

Mr.  Parent  smiled,  with  a  slight  shrug  of  his  shoul- 
ders, but  made  no  comment. 

"Would  you  mind  telling  me  how  you  made  your 
start  toward  success?" 

The  light  of  reminiscence  came  into  the  Premier's 
eyes  and  his  smile  was  more  pronounced.  After  a 
very  brief  pause  he  said : 

"You  flatter  me  by  the  use  of  that  word  success; 

463 


S.  N.  Parent 

but  if  you  want  to  know  how  I  began  my  career  I  will 
assure  you  that  I  began  it  with  a  failure.  My  father 
was  a  merchant  across  the  river  in  Beauport,  where  I 
was  born,  and  before  I  was  old  enough  to  appreciate 
how_much  I  did  not  know  I  branched  out  into  busi- 
ness for  myself.  I  started  a  grocery  store.  It  failed, 
and  I  decided  that  I  was  unfit  to  be  a  successful 
grocer. 

"A  fair  education  gained  at  the  normal  school 
enabled  me  to  obtain  a  place  in  a  law  office  of  S.  B. 
Langois  here  in  Quebec.  After  I  had  been  with  him 
a  short  time  he  strongly  advised  me  to  take  up  law 
as  a  profession.  I  was  beginning  to  feel  a  pronounced 
inclination  in  this  direction,  and,  stimulated  by  his  en- 
couragement, I  began  to  study  hard.  I  took  the 
course  at  Laval  University,  and  after  graduation 
commenced  to  practice  chiefly  at  first  in  the  police 
courts. 

"Gradually  my  clients  increased  in  numbers  and 
my  cases  in  importance.  Politics  had  always  inter- 
ested me.  I  became  somewhat  active  in  this  field, 
and,  although  I  have  never  tried  to  practice  the  art 
of  oratory,  for  which  I  have  no  gift,  I  was  elected  to 
the  County  Council  of  Quebec  in  1890.  Three 
years  later  I  was  made  Mayor  of  the  city  and  not 
long  afterwards  Premier  of  the  Province.  My  career 
since  then  has  been  largely  official  and  a  matter  of 
record." 

"It  is  said  that  you  have  given  the  province  and  the 

464 


Premier,  Mayor,  and  Lawyer 

city  the  best  business  administration  they  have  ever 
had.  You  know  more  about  business  now  than  when 
you  ran  the  grocery  store,  for  instance." 

"Oh,  yes,"  laughed  Mr.  Parent,  "a  great  deal  more. 
For  one  thing,  I  have  learned  that  the  price  of  a 
business  success  is  eternal  vigilance.  I  have  found 
that  the  only  way  to  conduct  affairs  of  a  municipality 
along  strictly  business  lines  is  to  watch  the  com- 
mittees— to  watch  their  every  move.  It  is  in  these 
bodies  that  the  financial  leaks  are  most  likely  to  oc- 
cur. Not  having  to  carry  the  main  responsibility  for 
public  expenditures,  committees  are  inclined  to  be  too 
generous,  too  confident  of  the  resources  of  the  treas- 
ury. I  have  no  doubt  that  this  is  as  true  in  your 
country,  the  United  States,  as  in  Canada. 

"We  have  ten  committees  which  are  meeting  con- 
stantly. During  the  eleven  years  I  have  been  in  office 
I  have  not  missed  a  single  meeting,  which  is  one  of  the 
main  causes,  I  think,  of  whatever  success  I  may  have 
had  as  a  public  adminstrator." 

"Your  position  as  the  representative  of  a  large 
population  of  both  French  and  English  must  have  its 
difficulties,"  I  remarked. 

"These  are  not  nearly  as  great  as  you  might 
imagine,"  quickly  replied  the  Premier.  "I  don't  pre- 
tend to  try  to  please  everybody,  but  I  do  try  to  treat 
all  alike.  I  myself,  as  you  know,  am  of  French  descent. 
French  was  the  language  of  my  childhood,  but 
whether  a  man  is  English,  or  Scotch,  or  French- 

465 


S.  N.  Parent 

Canadian,  whether  he  is  a  Protestant  or  Catholic,  has 
absolutely  no  weight  with  me  in  my  attitude  toward 
him  in  the  discharge  of  my  official  duties. 

"We  French  hold  to  our  language  and  customs  be- 
cause we  are  proud  of  them,  but  there  is  complete 
sympathy  between  the  two  races  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec.  The  Anglo-Saxon  Canadian  admires  the 
French-Canadian  because  of  his  honesty,  industry 
and  thrift,  and  the  latter  admires  the  former  for  vir- 
tues too  numerous  to  mention.  A  union  between  the 
two,  already  close,  is  constantly  becoming  closer,  and 
it  gives  me  pleasure  to  think  that  perhaps  I  have 
done  something  to  advance  this  movement  for  the 
common  good. 

"We  are  all  working  for  the  prosperity  and  prog- 
ress of  the  province  and  city  of  Quebec.  In  this 
connection  the  possibilities  are  so  great  that  even  if 
we  were  inclined  to  racial  prejudices,  which  is  not 
true,  we  would  realize  that  we  could  not  afford  to 
entertain  them. 

"Quebec  is  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  era.  The 
great  bridge  across  the  St.  Lawrence  will  bring  im- 
portant improvements  in  the  railroad  facilities  of  the 
city.  The  harbor,  already  one  of  the  finest  in  exist- 
ence for  vessels  of  large  tonnage,  will  be  made  even 
better  by  the  extension  of  the  dock  system  and  by 
other  projects  now  in  hand.  The  Grand  Trunk  Paci- 
fic Railway,  which  is  about  to  be  built  across  the 
continent,  will  have  its  eastern  terminus  at  Quebec, 

466 


Premier,  Mayor,  and  Lawyer 

and  will  bring  to  us  for  export  to  the  markets  of  the 
world  a  vast  quantity  of  the  products  of  the  great 
Northwest.  All  this  will  mean  a  remarkable  stimulus 
to  our  city. 

"As  for  the  province  as  a  whole,  the  fertility  of  the 
soil,  particularly  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lake  St. 
John,  warrants  the  prediction  that  it  will  become  the 
granary  of  Eastern  Canada.  The  enormous  water 
powers  within  our  boundaries,  harnessed  for  the  gen- 
eration of  electricity,  will  mean  the  rise  of  many  in- 
dustries. There  is,  moreover,  an  immense  wealth  of 
money  to  be  gathered  from  the  many  thousands  of 
miles  of  territory  which  offer  pulp  wood  for  paper 
making.  Year  by  year  the  pulp  industry  is  extending, 
but  it  is  as  yet  at  the  very  beginning  of  its  develop- 
ment. It  will  bring  many  millions  of  dollars  to  the 
province  and  its  people.  Young  men  now  at  the  out- 
set of  their  careers  will  grow  rich  from  the  new  indus- 
trial activities. 

"But  in  Quebec  we  have  not  yet  been  educated  up, 
or  down,  to  the  idea  that  the  most  desirable  thing  in 
the  world  is  wealth.  We  have  other  standards  of 
success.  None  of  us  have  what  would  be  considered 
from  the  American  point  of  view  great  riches,  and 
we  are  well  content  that  this  is  so.  Money,  of  course, 
is  an  excellent  thing,  and  we  have  no  prejudices 
against  its  possession,  but  we  are  in  no  feverish  haste 
to  acquire  it.  For  example,  none  of  our  professional 
men  or  politicians  are  very  rich.  Political  life  here 

467 


S.  N.  Parent 

offers  practically  no  financial  opportunities.  The 
politician  who  attempted  corrupt  practices  would  find 
himself  in  an  isolated  position.  There  would  be  no 
coterie  to  support  him.  He  would  be  subjected  to 
adverse  opinion  that  would  quickly  terminate  his 
career.  In  my  administration  of  public  affairs  in  the 
province  and  city  of  Quebec  there  has  not  been,  I  am 
happy  to  say,  five  cents'  worth  of  scandal. 

"No,  as  yet,  at  least,  we  are  not  worshippers  of  the 
golden  calf.  All  we  want  in  our  careers  and  com- 
munity is  a  healthy  progress.  We  desire  to  keep  the 
city  of  Quebec,  for  instance,  abreast  of  the  times,  to 
infuse  her  veins  with  new  blood,  but  certainly  not  at  a 
sacrifice  of  the  flavor  of  the  past  which  makes  her  the 
most  interesting  and  picturesque  city  on  the  conti- 
nent. We  respect  the  old,  and  intend  to  keep  it  and 
the  new  in  harmonious  balance." 

"How  were  you  impressed  with  Mr.  Parent?"  in- 
quired my  friend  when  I  informed  him  that  I  had  had 
my  interview. 

"Excellently  well,"  I  answered. 

"I  knew  you  would  be.  He  is  a  high  grade  man, 
and  is  very  representative  of  the  French-Canadians  of 
this  generation.  He  believes  in  progress,  but  not  in 
haste.  He  has  good  intentions,  and  the  ability  to 
carry  them  out.  He  is  much  more  of  a  listener  than 
a  talker,  but  when  he  says  a  thing,  or  makes  a  prom- 
ise, you  may  depend  upon  it." 

"You  have  found,  haven't  you,  that  his  political  op- 

468 


Premier,  Mayor,  and  Lawyer 

ponents  admit  that  they  respect  him?  I  thought  so. 
It  has  been  said  here  in  Quebec  that  in  his  character 
there  is  the  combination  of  the  canniness  of  the  Scot, 
the  progressive  energy  of  the  Englishman,  the  con- 
servatism and  sentiment  of  the  French-Canadian,  and 
the  geniality  of  the  Irish  gentleman." 


469 


Canada's  Leading  Economist  Tells 
Her  Sons  To  Seek  Fortune  in 
Her  Own  Domain. 

SIR  WILFRID  LAURIER,  Premier  of  Canada, 
said  that  in  matters  pertaining  to  railways  the 
Hon.  Andrew  George  Blair  was  the  Domin- 
ion's greatest  authority.    Whenever  in  Canada 
you  mention  the  name  of  Mr.  Blair,  whether  among 
his  friends  or  political  opponents,  the  comment  is, — 
an  able  man. 

Since  his  entrance  into  political  life  in  1878,  after 
twelve  years  of  notably  successful  practice  as  a  lawyer 
in  his  native  city  of  Fredericton,  New  Brunswick,  he 
has  continually  risen.  Though  defeated  in  his  first 
candidacy  for  the  New  Brunswick  House  of  Com- 
mons, he  was  elected  the  second  time  he  ran,  in  1879, 
and  since  then  has  always  been  victorious  at  the  polls. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  through  the  force  of  his 
personality  and  without  apparent  effort,  he  became 
leader  of  the  minority  in  the  New  Brunswick  House, 
and  this  minority  he  changed  from  weakness  to 
strength.  His  personal  following  grew  so  steadily 
that  in  1883  tne  majority  was  defeated  and  Mr.  Blair 

470 


Railway  Authority 

became  Premier  of  the  Province.  In  three  general 
elections,  those  of  1886,  1890  and  1894,  his  leadership 
was  sustained.  "By  this  time,"  remarked  a  friend  of 
his  to  me,  "Blair  was  the  whole  thing  in  the  Province 
of  New  Brunswick." 

However  this  may  have  been,  it  is  true  that  Mr. 
Blair  had  become  a  figure  of  national  prominence. 
Long  before  this  he  had  attracted  the  attention  of  Sir 
Wilfrid  Laurier,  and  when  the  latter  became  Premier 
of  the  Dominion  in  1896  he  made  Mr.  Blair  a  member 
of  his  Cabinet,  appointing  him  to  the  important  place 
of  Minister  of  Railways  and  Canals. 

It  was  in  this  position  that  he  acquired  the  mastery 
of  railroad  problems  that  has  made  him  Canada's 
leading  authority  on  transportation.  In  1903,  because 
he  disagreed  with  the  governmental  powers  on  the 
subject  of  the  projected  Grand  Trunk  Pacific  line 
across  the  continent,  he  resigned  his  portfolio. 

But  it  very  soon  became  evident  that  Mr.  Blair  was 
a  man  with  whose  services  it  was  difficult  to  dispense. 
For  the  purpose  of  regulating  the  railroads  in  their 
relations  with  the  public  more  specifically  than  had 
been  possible  by  the  Ministry  of  Railways  and  Canals 
a  Board  of  Railway  Commissioners  was  provided  for 
by  Parliament  early  in  1904.  Mr.  Blair  had  been  very 
active  in  advocating  the  organization  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  it  was  obvious  that  there  was  no  man  in 
Canada  who  could  approach  him  in  fitness  for  the 
place  of  chairman.  Yet  his  opposition  to  the  govern- 

47 J 


Andrew  G.  Blair 

ment  in  its  great  scheme  for  the  new  transcontinental 
road  was  a  very  formidable  objection  to  his  selection. 
This  difficulty  caused  much  hesitation  on  the  part 
of  the  ruling  spirits,  but  in  the  end  it  was  decided 
that  the  Government  could  not  get  along  without 
Mr.  Blair,  and  so  he  was  appointed  chairman  of  the 
committee.  After  a  few  months  of  very  successful 
work  he  resigned  his  place,  an  act  which  threw  the 
party  in  power  into  a  state  of  astonishment  and  con- 
sternation. 

In  his  office  in  Ottawa  I  called  upon  Mr.  Blair,  and 
was  at  once  impressed  with  what  might  be  called  his 
bigness.  His  face,  the  lower  part  of  which  is  covered 
with  the  luxuriant  growth  of  beard  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  Scotchman,  is  broad.  His  forehead  is 
high  and  wide.  His  eyes  are  unusually  large.  He 
speaks  slowly,  and  every  word  has  weight. 

If  one  were  to  make  a  military  comparison  it  might 
be  said  that  he  has  much  more  of  the  blunt  strength 
of  the  cannon  than  of  the  glittering  sharpness  of  the 
sword.  And  yet  this  military  simile,  except  at  times 
of  heated  debate  in  the  House  of  Parliament,  or  when 
his  indignation  is  aroused,  is  not  a  fair  one,  for  no 
man's  ordinary  manner  is  more  quiet  and  benign. 
His  energy  is  not  obtrusive,  nor  of  the  kind  called 
nervous.  It  seems  to  have  a  far  deeper  source  than 
this.  The  truth  is,  Mr,  Blair  impressed  me  as  pos- 
sessing more  of  the  equipment  of  the  scholar  and 
philosopher  than  of  the  lawyer  giving  and  parrying 

472 


Railway  Authority 

quick  thrusts  in  court  litigation,  or  of  the  politician 
devising  ways  and  means  to  hold  and  increase  his 
power.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  him  indulging  in  airy 
flights  of  eloquence  calculated  to  arouse  the  admira- 
tion of  the  crowd.  Indeed,  he  never  indulges  in  what 
is  ordinarily  called  oratory.  He  depends  for  effec- 
tiveness in  his  speeches  upon  the  force  of  fact  and 
logic,  with  which  in  Parliament  he  has  shattered 
numerous  soaring  bubbles  of  forensic  sentiment. 

"I  don't  care  to  talk  about  myself,"  he  remarked  to 
me.  "Those  good  friends  of  mine  who  differ  with  me 
on  matters  of  public  policy  are  doing  that.  But  I 
have  no  objection  to  saying  something  on  the  topic 
of  success,  although  the  subject  is  so  vital  and  has 
such  an  intimate  relationship  to  a  young  man's  am- 
bitions and  career  that  I  should  have  liked  to  have  a 
little  time  to  consider  it. 

"I  will  say,  however,  that  I  have  been  strongly  im- 
pressed within  very  recent  times  with  the  fact  that  it  is 
no  longer  necessary  for  young  Canadians  to  go  to 
the  United  States  to  seek  their  success.  At  one  time 
there  were  much  greater  opportunities  for  them  there 
than  here,  and  Canada  lost  many  of  her  best  minds 
and  most  promising  youths.  Not  a  few  of  these  have 
achieved  distinction  in  the  States,  and  many  young 
Canadians,  inspired  by  their  example,  are  still  seeking 
fame  and  fortune  across  the  border.  But  a  larger 
number  are  now  coming  in  this  direction.  The  tide 
has  turned.  Men  with  capital,  in  money  or  in  brains, 

473 


Andrew  G.  Blair 

are  beginning  to  realize  that  in  this  twentieth  century 
Canada  is  the  land  of  opportunities. 

"Even  in  the  profession  of  law,  which  feels  the 
effect  of  new  conditions  rather  less  quickly  than  do 
commercial  pursuits,  there  has  been  a  marked  ad- 
vance toward  more  business  and  larger  fees.  For 
electrical,  mechanical  and  civil  engineers  there  is 
more  and  more  work  in  Canada  because  of  the  con- 
stant installation  of  new  manufacturing  plants  and 
the  extension  of  the  railway  systems. 

"In  the  field  of  railroad  construction  in  particular, 
on  account  of  the  necessity  of  thousands  of  miles 
more  of  track  in  the  new  territory  which  is  being 
opened  up,  there  will  be  a  great  deal  of  work  for 
young  men  within  the  next  few  years.  I  do  not  my- 
self believe  that  it  is  necessary  to  build  new  lines  with 
the  haste  thought  advisable  in  some  quarters,  but  it  is 
inevitable  that  sooner  or  later  the  country  will  be 
covered  by  a  network  of  railroads.  All  this  railway 
building  and  the  resulting  development  of  new  com- 
munities will  mean,  of  course,  business  and  profes- 
sional openings  for  a  great  number  of  energetic  men. 

"This  will  be  especially  true  of  our  immense  North- 
west, which  is  virtually  a  new  country  of  a  wonderful 
productivity  in  grain  and  minerals,  and  of  a  vastness 
in  territory  difficult  to  imagine.  In  the  flourishing 
little  city  of  Edmonton,  in  the  province  of  Alberta, 
I  happened  to  meet  a  man  not  long  ago  who  was 
installing  mills  for  the  grinding  of  wheat  in  the  terri- 

474 


Railway  Authority 

tory  to  the  north,  and  asked  him  as  to  the  location 
of  the  most  northerly  mill  that  he  was  building.  In 
reply  he  mentioned  a  place  which,  to  my  astonish- 
ment, was  over  twelve  hundred  miles  north  of  Ed- 
monton. From  this  you  will  see  that  there  are 
wheat  fields  nearly  sixteen  hundred  miles  north  of  the 
boundary  line  between  Canada  and  the  United  States. 

"The  climate  here  is  tempered  by  the  winds  which 
come  through  the  passes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
from  the  warm  Japanese  current  of  the  Pacific.  This 
makes  it  possible  to  grow  wheat  in  the  region  just 
east  of  the  Rockies  at  a  latitude  much  higher  than  in 
the  section  farther  east,  where  the  balmy  winds  do 
not  reach,  but  the  fact  that  there  are  wheat  fields  six- 
teen hundred  miles  north  of  the  border  will  give  you 
an  idea  of  the  marvelous  extent  of  the  wheat  grow- 
ing country  of  northwestern  Canada. 

"I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  in  the  course 
of  the  next  twenty-five  years  a  great  commonwealth 
will  have  been  developed  here,  and  this  means  that 
many  thousands  of  young  men  who  are  honest  and 
energetic  and  wide  awake  enough  to  see  and  seize 
their  chances  will  acquire  comfortable  competencies 
for  themselves  and  families.  Some  will  unquestion- 
ably make  large  fortunes. 

"I  do  not,  however,  regard  the  accumulation  of  a 
great  deal  of  money  as  a  criterion  of  success.  I 
think  that  a  man  who  has  been  able  to  build  for  him- 
self a  comfortable  home,  presided  over  by  a  good 

47* 


Andrew  G.  Blair 

wife  and  enlivened  with  the  presence  of  a  moderate 
number  of  children,  is  apt  to  be  far  more  content 
with  his  lot  than  the  man  who  must  carry  the  burden 
of  a  great  fortune. 

"In  the  Northwest  the  conditions  will  not  be  such 
as  to  enable  a  man  to  amass  the  fabulous  wealth 
which  has  marked  the  industrial  development  of  the 
United  States.  For  one  thing,  we  are  so  regulating 
our  railroads  in  their  relations  to  the  public  that  it 
will  be  quite  impossible  for  favored  shippers  to  obtain 
the  preferences  in  freight  rates  which,  in  the  United 
States,  have  been  the  chief  source  of  the  menacing 
wealth  of  certain  conspicuous  capitalists. 

"To  make  impossible  all  discrimination  in  rates  on 
the  part  of  railroads  has  been  one  of  my  principal 
cares  in  the  discharge  of  my  official  duties  as  Minister 
of  Railways  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Railway  Com- 
mission. If  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  I  have  ac- 
complished something  in  this  direction  I  shall  feel 
that  my  labors  have  not  been  in  vain." 

"What,"  I  inquired,  "do  you  consider  the  chief 
requisite  of  success  in  political  life?" 

Mr.  Blair  paused,  and  turned  his  eyes  reflectively 
toward  the  window.  "This  is  a  difficult  question,"  he 
answered  slowly.  "There  are,  of  course,  numerous 
qualities  that  combine  to  give  a  man  success  in  poli- 
tics as  in  any  other  pursuit.  But  I  am  sure  that  the 
prime  essential  of  the  man  who  is  ambitious  to  hold 
any  lasting  influence  in  political  life  is  character. 

476 


J 

Railway  Authority 

"If  he  possesses  character  he  is  bound  to  gain  and 
maintain  the  respect,  not  only  of  his  friends,  but  even 
of  his  enemies,  and  will  be  able  to  keep  himself  afloat 
on  the  tempestuous  sea  of  politics  long  after  those 
who  have  not  been  able  to  resist  the  temptations  of  a 
political  career  have  been  engulfed. 

"In  Canada  the  political  life  carries  with  it  no  great 
financial  rewards.  The  young  man  who  enters  poli- 
tics and  devotes  himself  zealously  to  affairs  of  state 
must  not  expect  affluence.  If  his  aim  in  life  is  to 
acquire  riches  he  should  by  all  means  keep  clear  of 
the  political  arena  until,  at  least,  he  has  made  his 
success  in  business." 

In  his  administration  in  the  office  of  Minister  of 
Railways  and  of  Chairman  of  the  Railway  Commis- 
sion, Mr.  Blair  showed  a  pronounced  simplicity  and 
unconventionality  in  his  methods.  His  aim  being  to 
accomplish  as  much  as  possible,  he  went  straight  to 
the  mark,  with  little  regard  for  formality  or  red  tape. 
Many  times,  in  his  work  of  railway  supervision,  he 
has  traversed  the  length  and  breadth  of  Canada,  pre- 
ferring to  see  conditions  for  himself  rather  than  to 
judge  of  them  on  hearsay  evidence.  A  single  episode 
may  be  given  as  characteristic  of  his  manner  of  ob- 
taining results.  There  had  been  numerous  com- 
plaints about  the  dangers  of  a  certain  crossing  on  one 
of  the  railways.  Some  of  these  complaints  had  been 
sent  to  the  office  of  the  Commission,  but  in  the 
ordinary  routine  of  business  some  time  would  have 

477 


Andrew  G.  Blair 

elapsed  before  action  upon  them  could  be  taken. 
Meanwhile  the  railroad  was  doing  nothing  in  the 
matter,  and  the  lives  of  many  children  were  daily  in 
danger.  Mr.  Blair,  however,  had  heard  unofficially 
of  the  crossing.  One  day  he  happened  to  meet  on  a 
train  the  superintendent  of  the  road  in  question.  The 
train  was  approaching  the  dangerous  place,  when  Mr. 
Blair  suddenly  remarked  to  the  superintendent:  "By 

the  way,  Mr.  ,  I  have  heard  that  you  have  a 

bad  crossing  on  the  line  not  far  from  here.  Let  us 
get  out  and  take  a  look  at  it." 

The  superintendent  acquiesced,  and  when  the 
crossing  was  reached  the  train  was  stopped  and  the 
two  gentlemen  alighted.  For  a  few  moments  they 
surveyed  the  woods  that  concealed  the  approach  of 
trains  and  the  other  conditions  which  made  the  cross- 
ing hazardous. 

"I  think  we  have  seen  enough,  Mr.  ,"  re- 
marked the  Chairman.  When  they  had  resumed 
their  seats  in  the  car  he  said,  "Now,  see  here,  it  is 
just  as  obvious  to  you  as  it  is  to  me  that  this  place 
should  at  once  be  made  safer.  It  can  be  done  easily. 
I  wish  you  would  interest  yourself  personally  in  the 
matter."  Within  a  day  or  two  a  gang  of  workmen 
had  made  the  crossing  safe. 


478 


A  Distinguished  Educator  has  Found 
Contentment  in  the  Simple 
Life. 


1V   /f^  ^e   ^as   keen  verv 
|\/l      James  Loudon,  president  of  the  Uni- 

•*•  *  •*-  versity  of  Toronto,  which  is  the  largest 
educational  institution  in  Canada. 
"When  I  was  graduated  from  this  University  in  the 
early  sixties  I  became  associated  with  it  as  an  in- 
structor, and  have  never  had  any  other  professional 
connection. 

"My  birthplace  was  the  city  of  Toronto,  and  my 
parents,  like  those  of  so  many  people  in  this 
province  of  Ontario,  were  Scotch.  I  might  remark, 
parenthetically,  that  I  think  the  infant  that  opens  its 
eyes  upon  the  world  with  Scotch  blood  in  its  veins 
has  already  made  a  pretty  fair  start  in  life.  The 
typical  Scotchman  is  shrewd  and  patient,  and  is  the 
fortunate  possessor  of  that  sense  of  humor  which 
does  so  much  to  smooth  the  way,  both  for  himself  and 
for  those  about  him,  and  is  so  conducive  to  a  sane 
philosophy.  Patience,  I  have  always  thought,  is  a 

479 


James  Loudon 

particularly  valuable  asset  for  the  man  who  desires 
steady  progress  in  his  life." 

"The  truth  of  this  is  exemplified  in  your  own 
career,"  I  suggested. 

"Perhaps  so,"  replied  Dr.  Loudon.  "I  well  remem- 
ber Toronto  when  it  was  a  comparative  village,  and 
I  have  seen  it  develop  into  the  present  brisk  and  im- 
pressive city.  I  remember,  too,  our  University  when 
its  attendance  was  very  small,  and  I  have  seen  it 
steadily  expand  until  now  it  has  over  twenty-five 
hundred  students,  and  its  influence  has  become  wide- 
spread. I  myself  have  been  carried  up  with  the 
general  growth.  For  many  years  I  was  professor  of 
mathematics  in  the  University,  and  have  made  a  spe- 
cial study  of  the  science  of  physics.  Finally,  in  1892, 
chiefly  on  the  ground  of  long  service,  I  was  made  the 
president. 

"Our  progress  here  has  been  preeminently  healthy 
— a  substantial  process  of  construction  from  the  foun- 
dations up.  If,  from  my  observation  of  this  develop- 
ment, any  wisdom  for  young  men  can  be  gleaned,  I 
would  say  to  them,  eliminate  impatience  and  haste 
from  your  plans  in  building  the  structure  of  your 
career.  Build  slowly,  keeping  a  careful  eye  upon 
the  quality  and  placing  of  every  beam  and  stone.  It 
is  by  this  method  only  that  you  will  be  able  to  con- 
struct an  edifice  that  will  be  permanently  satisfac- 
tory to  yourself  and  impressive  to  the  world. 

"A   conspicuous   evil  in  the   present   day   life   of 

480 


OUT  OF  DEBT  AT  LAST 


President  University  of  Toronto 

North  America  is  hurry.  Young  men,  in  haste  to 
achieve  success,  force  themselves.  The  able  ones  rise 
with  a  rapidity  which,  I  think  is  the  reverse  of  benefi- 
cial in  the  long  run.  A  reaction,  an  aftermath,  is  apt 
to  come.  Their  mental  and  physical  elasticity  is  apt 
to  prematurely  disappear,  with  the  result  that  they 
will  too  soon  find  themselves  past  the  summit  of  their 
careers  and  traveling  the  declivity  on  the  other  side. 
The  great  cities  on  this  continent,  and  particularly 
those  of  the  United  States,  have  a  voracious  appetite 
for  the  vitality  of  youth.  They  develop  a  man,  yes, 
but  they  also  exhaust  him. 

"The  mistake  of  this  lies  principally  in  the  indus- 
trial and  social  pace  of  the  present.  Young  men,  in- 
fluenced by  the  city  life  about  them,  spend  a  good 
deal  more  money  on  their  living  and  enjoyment  than 
they  did  in  the  days  of  my  own  youth,  and  in  their 
keen  desire  to  keep  in  the  hunt,  so  to  speak,  they  seek 
the  goal  of  wealth  cross-lots  instead  of  by  the  more 
roundabout  but  much  safer  highway.  The  young 
women  who  become  their  wives  have  great  power  in 
the  matter  of  keeping  them  away  from  the  dangerous 
short-cuts.  A  wife  should  have  an  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  varying  conditions  in  her  husband's  busi- 
ness, in  order  that  she  may  properly  adjust  her  ex- 
penditures to  these  conditions.  This  seems  obvious, 
but  the  wife's  failure  in  this  respect  has  been  the 
cause  of  the  undoing  of  many  a  man. 

"The    spirit    of    materialism    and    commercialism 

481 


James  Loudon 

which  is  so  marked  has  been,  perhaps,  a  necessary 
factor  in  the  development  of  the  resources  of  this 
continent,  but  I  believe  that  it  is  gradually  losing  its 
position  as  the  commanding  influence  in  our  New 
World  civilization,  and  that  it  will  become  a  subordi- 
nate element  in  a  broader  and  higher  attitude  toward 
life." 

"This  development  will  come  sooner,  I  think,  in 
the  United  States  than  in  Canada,  for  the  reason  that 
the  former  country  has  had  the  start  of  us  in  the 
evolution.  The  rough  work  of  subduing  rebellious 
nature,  of  clearing  land,  of  breaking  virgin  soil  for 
agriculture,  of  building  railroads,  has  been  nearly 
completed  across  the  border,  while  on  our  side  it  is 
just  beginning.  We  have  a  great  Northwest,  still  in 
large  degree  a  wilderness,  to  cover  with  farms  and 
homes  and  the  other  appurtenances  of  civilization. 
W'e  have  yet  large  sections  of  our  East  to  dot  with 
the  towns  and  the  industries  which  this  territory  will 
bountifully  support. 

"It  is  only  within  a  very  few  years  that  we  have 
begun  to  take  hold  of  this  work  with  the  zeal  and 
determination  that  brings  success.  With  this  twenti- 
eth century  there  has  been  born  inCanada  a  new  spirit 
of  enterprise.  Even  here  in  the  University  its  effects 
have  been  strongly  felt.  It  was  not  long  ago  that  a 
large  proportion  of  our  graduates  became  teachers, 
or  entered  some  other  professional  sphere,  and  in 
these  fields  most  of  them  sought  their  opportunities 

482 


President  University  of  Toronto 

in  the  United  States.  At  the  present  time  the  major- 
ity of  our  students  have  turned  toward  commercial, 
mechanical  or  scientific  pursuits,  and  they  are  finding 
their  openings  within  our  own  domain.  The  standard 
of  pecuniary  compensation  is  advancing,  not  only  in 
commerce  but  also  in  the  professions.  For  example, 
even  as  comparatively  a  short  time  as  a  decade  ago 
the  largest  fees  or  salaries  for  legal  services  never 
rose  above  a  very  few  thousand  dollars.  Now  we 
often  hear  of  Canadian  lawyers  receiving  many  thou- 
sands in  single  fees  or  in  yearly  salaries  from  rail- 
road, banking  and  other  corporations.  The  general 
tendency  is  in  this  direction,  and  it  is  a  direct  result 
of  our  industrial  expansion.  The  interests  of  Cana- 
dian employers  of  brains  and  labor  are  becoming 
larger.  They  want  more  men,  and  better  trained 
men,  and  are  willing  to  pay  them  more  than  in  former 
years. 

"Since  a  university  does  not  completely  fulfil  its 
functions  unless  it  keeps  in  touch  with  the  life  of  the 
people  and  the  currents  of  broad  activity,  we  of  the 
University  of  Toronto  are  aiming  to  keep  pace  with 
the  new  development  in  Canada.  We  are  equipping 
young  men  for  many  practical  pursuits,  and  are  even 
establishing  close  relationships  with  numerous  speci- 
fic industries.  Often  of  late  we  have  had  applica- 
tions from  employers  for  young  men  capable  of 
assuming  responsibilities.  We  keep  track  of  the  de- 
mand for  youthful  brains  and  university  training, 

483 


James  Loudon 

and  make  a  point  of  being  always  ready  to  supply  it. 
A  notable  factor  in  the  practical  work  of  the  univer- 
sity is  the  Agricultural  College,  which  is  located  at 
Guelph,  Ontario,  and  controls  550  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  all  phases  of  farming  are  carried  on  and  taught 
to  nearly  six  hundred  students.  We  feel  that  this  col- 
lege is  doing  work  which  is  very  important.  Much  of 
the  future  wealth  of  Canada  will  be  derived  from  agri- 
culture, and  especially  from  wheat  growing  in  the 
Northwest,  where  hard  wheat,  the  finest  in  the  world, 
can  be  produced  in  sufficient  quantities  to  supply  all 
the  markets  of  the  earth.  To  adequately  develop  the 
possibilities  of  this  territory  we  must  have  scientific 
farmers,  and  this  is  the  kind  we  are  doing  our  best  to 
train. 

"But  with  all  this  effort  along  material  lines,  we  are 
by  no  means  forgetting  at  the  University  of  Toronto 
what  we  used  to  call  the  broad  humanities.  The  play 
of  the  spirit,  the  exercise  of  the  imagination,  the  stim- 
ulus of  literature  and  art,  a  tolerant  and  cheerful 
philosophy  are,  after  all,  the  things  which  make  life 
worth  living." 


484 


UI 

Beginning  as  Telegraph  Operator  He 
Built  the  Canadian  Pacific. 

x  £~1T  "IT  "THAT     is     success?"     questioned     Sir 

^7^7       William    Van    Home,    half-reclining 

within  the  hospitable  arms  of  a  big 

chair   in  his   luxurious   residence   in 

Shelbrooke  Street,  Montreal. 

"You,  Sir  William,  should  surely  know,"  I  re- 
marked. "You  are  accredited  by  the  world  with 
being  very  familiar  with  it." 

"There  are  numerous  subjects  upon  which  the 
world  and  I  do  not  agree,"  replied,  with  a  smile,  the 
famous  railroad  builder. 

"What  is  success?"  he  repeated  slowly.  "You 
might  say,  of  course  that  it  is  the  achievement  of  a 
purpose,  but  in  the  selection  and  formation  of  your 
purpose  you  may  have  made  a  failure,  and  then  the 
whole  is  failure. 

"Is  contentment  success?  I  am  sure  it  is  not.  Is 
wealth?  Not  by  any  means.  Is  power?  Not  at  all." 

Sir  William  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

"The  truth  is,"  he  said  suddenly,  "the  word  suc- 
cess is  one  of  the  hardest  in  the  language  to  define, 

485 


Sir  William  C.  Van  Home 

and  I  won't  attempt  it.  I  should  say  however,  that 
a  man's  real  success  in  life  can  be  pretty  accurately 
measured  by  his  usefulness  as  a  member  of  society. 

"He  may  be  rich  or  poor,  courted  or  ignored,  but  if 
he  does  things  which  at  once  or  eventually  make  for 
progress  in  the  world  he  is  most  assuredly  a  success. 
If,  for  example,  he  discovers  something  new  in  sci- 
ence, invents  a  valuable  article,  paints  a  great  picture, 
writes  a  great  book,  develops  a  great  industry, 
or " 

"Or  builds  a  great  railroad?"  I  interrupted 

Sir  William  smiled,  and  after  a  pause  remarked, 
"I  suppose  you  intend  that  to  be  a  personal  allusion, 
but  we  are  not  discussing  personalities.  I  will  say, 
however,  that  some  of  the  men  whom  down  in  the 
States  you  call  captains  of  industry  have  my  admira- 
tion. I  care  very  little  whether  they  give  money  to 
charity,  whether  their  work  is  colored  by  an  active 
consciousness  of  its  value  to  anybody  outside  of  their 
families,  their  friends  and  themselves.  Most  of  the 
men  of  this  stamp  are  just  in  their  dealings,  and  it  is 
to  their  initiative  force  that  the  United  States  owes 
her  material  greatness.  They  have  started  wheels 
of  industry  that  have  given  honest  work  and  many 
of  the  comforts  of  life  to  millions  of  self-respecting 
men.  They  are  rich,  yes,  and  we  say  that  riches  do 
not  constitute  success.  Nevertheless,  these  men  have 
achieved  it  in  one  of  its  highest  forms." 

It  was  very  plain  from  his  manner  that  in  making 

486 


Railway  Builder 

these  remarks  Sir  William's  thoughts  were  quite  re- 
mote from  his  own  career.  Yet  he  himself  is  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  and  striking  representatives  on 
the  continent  of  the  class  of  men  he  was  discussing. 
His  humble  start  as  a  small  boy  in  a  railway  station, 
contrasted  with  his  present  place  as  a  giant  in  the 
field  of  railroading,  indicates  the  height  of  his  own 
achievement.  His  career  has  been  a  long  series  of 
upward  steps. 

At  an  age  when  most  boys  are  playing  marbles  in 
short  trousers,  young  Van  Home,  forced  by  the 
death  of  his  father  to  earn  his  own  living,  obtained  a 
place  as  general  utility  boy  at  a  railroad  station  in  the 
county  in  Illinois  in  which  in  1843  ne  was  born.  Here 
he  saw  and  seized  his  first  opportunity;  that  is,  he 
taught  himself  telegraphy.  With  this  knowledge 
and  a  robust  personality  as  his  only  assets,  he  jour- 
neyed to  Chicago  and  found  a  position  as  telegraph 
operator  in  the  offices  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road. But  he  did  not  long  hold  this  place.  The  tele- 
graphic keys  were  too  small  for  him.  Before  he  was 
twenty-two  he  had  gone  over  to  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  road  and  was  dispatching  trains — work  of  so 
responsible  a  character  that  no  railroad  company 
would  think  for  an  instant  of  entrusting  it  to  the 
ordinary  inexperienced  youth.  But  the  chief  requis- 
ite of  the  train  despatcher  is  care,  and  care  was 
only  one  of  young  Van  Home's  conspicuous  qualities. 
He  had  a  combination  of  others  that  overshadowed  it 

487 


Sir  William  C.  Van  Home 

and  brought  him  promotion  to  the  place  of  superin- 
tendent of  telegraphy. 

His  work  was  still  too  easy  for  him,  so  they  made 
him  a  division  superintendent.  He  was  now  where 
the  officials  of  other  lines  could  see  him,  and  the 
Wabash  road  took  him  away  from  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  to  make  him  their  general  manager.  He  was 
about  thirty  years  old  at  this  time,  but  he  was  al- 
ready looming  so  large  among  the  railroad  men  of 
the  Middle  West  that  when  the  directors  of  the 
Southern  Minnesota  Railway,  which  was  in  the  hands 
of  a  receiver,  bethought  themselves  to  look  about  for 
a  man  who  could  rehabilitate  their  road,  their  eyes 
fell  upon  young  Van  Home,  and  they  asked  him  if 
he  thought  the  line  could  be  made  to  pay. 

He  replied  that  he  thought  so,  and  gave  his  rea- 
sons. They  then  asked  him  to  assume  the  manage- 
ment of  the  moribund  property.  He  liked  then,  as 
he  does  now,  this  kind  of  a  job.  There  were  chances 
in  it  far  above  the  mere  satisfactory  performance  of 
routine  duty.  There  were  opportunities  here  to  cre- 
ate, to  develop,  to  quicken  into  new  life;  and  the 
young  man's  instincts  were  all  in  this  direction.  So 
he  took  hold  with  enthusiasm,  and  put  the  company 
on  a  paying  basis  with  a  rapidity  that  amazed  the 
stockholders  who  made  him  president.  He  went  back 
to  the  Chicago  &  Alton  in  1878  as  general  manager. 

In  a  lifetime  of  work  very  few  railroad  men  achieve 
as  much  as  this,  but  Van  Home  was  still  in  his 

488 


Railway  Builder 

thirties  and  was  just  beginning.  The  Canadian  Gov- 
ernment had  been  trying  for  several  years  to  push 
from  the  Ottawa  Valley  a  road  of  steel  across  its  vast 
domain  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  it  had  found  the 
task  too  much  for  it.  Surveys  had  been  made,  but 
there  had  been  comparatively  little  work  of  actual 
construction.  Finally,  in  1880,  it  was  decided  to 
allow  the  project  to  become  a  private  enterprise,  and 
in  1 88 1,  under  the  auspices  of  Sir  Donald  Smith,  now 
Lord  Strathcona,  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  organized. 

After  Sir  Donald  had  found  the  immense  amount 
of  money  that  was  required,  his  greatest  care  was  to 
find  a  man  to  take  charge  of  the  construction,  much 
of  it  through  unknown  wildernesses,  of  the  longest 
railway  that  had  ever  been  projected.  The  length  of 
the  proposed  line  and  the  nature  of  the  country 
through  which  it  was  to  pass,  made  this  the  most  stu- 
pendous railway  undertaking  the  world  had  seen.  It 
was  necessary  to  procure  a  man  fitted  for  a  Hercu- 
lean task.  Sir  Donald  took  stock  with  the  rail- 
road men  of  the  New  World  and  decided  that  the 
most  promising  of  them  all  was  William  C.  Van 
Home. 

The  latter  went  into  the  work  like  a  football  player 
bucking  the  line  on  a  university  team.  An  army  of 
men  was  hired.  At  an  average  speed  of  three  miles 
a  day  for  many  months  the  steel  rails  were  pushed 
into  the  vast  forests  and  the  trackless  prairies  of  the 

489 


Sir  WiUiam  C.  Van  Home 

Northwest.  At  last  the  workmen,  urged  incessantly 
by  the  directing  mind  of  General  Manager  Van 
Home,  attacked  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  under 
the  charges  of  picks  and  powder  the  mountains  made 
way.  At  the  end  of  the  third  year  the  summit  of  the 
Rockies  had  been  reached,  and  before  another  twelve 
months  had  gone  by  the  forbidding  passes  in  the  Sel- 
kirks  were  thundering  and  trembling  from  the  as- 
saults of  dynamite. 

The  last  rail  of  the  main  line  was  laid  in  November, 
1885.  In  the  meantime  the  company  had  been  ac- 
quiring branch  connections,  and  before  the  end  of 
the  year  was  in  possession  of  nearly  forty-five  hun- 
dred miles  of  track.  Before  another  six  months  had 
passed  a  great  system  was  fully  equipped  and  Canada 
had  her  railway  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 

The  contract  had  called  for  the  completion  of  the 
road  in  ten  years.  Van  Home  and  his  men  had 
finished  it  in  five.  Since  then  the  system  has  been  ex- 
tended until  now  it  embraces  nearly  ten  thousand 
miles  of  track,  and  steamship  lines  cross  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  oceans.  One  may  travel  eighteen  thou- 
sand miles  on  the  route  and  property  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific.  Cities  and  towns,  many  thousands  of  farms 
and  factories,  have  sprung  up  along  the  way.  A 
new  commonwealth  in  the  Northwest  has  been  de- 
veloped. And  it  has  been  done  under  the  general 
direction  of  Sir  William  C.  Van  Home. 

This  is  why  Canadians,  when  asked  to  name  living 

49° 


Railway  Builder 

men  who  have  done  most  to  develop  the  Dominion, 
couple  his  name  with  that  of  Lord  Strathcona.  The 
latter,  then  Sir  Donald  Smith,  had  the  courage  to 
assume  a  burden  of  railway  construction  that  had 
proved  too  heavy  for  the  Government.  He  thus  made 
possible  Canada's  only  transcontinental  railway. 
Lord  Strathcona  financed  the  road,  but  Sir  William 
Van  Home  built  it.  The  latter  was  its  president  from 
1888  until  1899,  when,  the  creative  work  being  done, 
the  chief  difficulties  surmounted,  he  resigned  the 
presidency  in  favor  of  Sir  Thomas  Shanghnessy,  and 
assumed  work  of  less  detail  as  chairman  of  the  board 
of  directors. 

Plain  William  C.  Van  Home  became  Sir  William  in 
1894,  when  he  was  knighted  by  the  queen  for  his 
high  value  as  a  worker  in  her  domains  in  North 
America.  Being  nothing  if  not  democratic,  he  was 
inclined,  until  he  became  used  to  it,  to  wax  jocular 
about  his  title. 

"I'll  wager,"  he  is  reported  to  have  said  one  day 
soon  after  he  had  received  it,  "that  my  old  friends 
among  the  railroad  boys  down  in  Chicago,  who  used 
to  call  me  Bill,  will  make  some  pointed  remarks 
when  they  learn  that  I  am  Sir  William  now." 

His  bluff  geniality  is  one  of  the  things  that  Canada 
likes  best  about  Sir  William.  She  claims  him  as  a 
citizen,  since  his  greatest  work  has  been  done  and 
he  has  lived  for  years  within  her  boundaries.  She  is 
proud  of  him  and  he  is  proud  of  her. 

491 


Sir  William  C.  Van  Home 

"Very  few  people,"  he  said  to  me,  "have  more  than 
a  faint  idea  of  the  marvelous  resources  and  possi- 
bilities of  this  country.  In  the  provinces  of  Quebec 
and  Ontario  the  innumerable  streams  rushing  down 
from  the  mountains  offer  sufficient  water  power  to 
run  the  factories  of  a  nation.  A  beginning  has  been 
made  here  that  will  eventually  lift  this  locality  into 
one  of  the  leading  industrial  and  electrical  centers  of 
the  continent.  In  the  making  of  paper  in  particular 
it  will  be  preeminent.  Much  of  the  pulp  wood  used 
in  paper  manufacturing  has  thus  far  been  obtained 
from  Maine,  but  the  supply  there  will  be  exhausted 
in  less  than  five  years,  and  then  the  paper  makers 
must  come  to  Canada  for  their  supply  of  pulp.  There 
are  already  extensive  pulp  wood  industries  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  but  these  are  bound  to  be 
greatly  multiplied." 

"It  is  in  the  Northwest,  however,  where  millions 
of  acres  of  land  await  only  the  plow  and  seed  to  pro- 
duce the  finest  wheat  in  the  world,  that  the  most  in- 
viting opportunities  for  young  men  are  to  be  found. 
The  Canadian  Northwest  is  much  as  was  the  great 
region  of  the  United  States  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  a  country  at  the  outset  of 
its  development — a  country  which  needs  and  will  ade- 
quately reward  the  vigorous  efforts  of  young  man- 
hood." 

"In  your  field  of  railroad  building  I  presume  there 
will  be  great  opportunities?"  I  remarked. 

492 


Railway  Builder 

.  "Undoubtedly,"  replied  Sir  William. 

"Is  the  railroad  business  a  good  one  for  a  young 
man?" 

"It  is  as  good  as  any,"  answered  Sir  William 
thoughtfully,  "if  a  young  man  is  content  to  work  for 
a  salary  all  his  life.  But  he  should  not  be  content 
with  this.  The  salary  habit  is  a  bad  one,  very  easy 
to  acquire,  and  very  hard  to  shake  off.  The  man 
with  his  stipend  every  week  is  apt  to  settle  into  a 
groove.  He  adjusts  his  mode  of  life  to  his  Saturday 
envelope.  It  gets  to  be  about  the  most  important 
thing  in  his  existence.  He  becomes  tied  up  to  it,  and 
is  afraid  to  make  a  move  that  will  disturb  this  pleas- 
ant union.  Always  acting  under  the  direction  of 
somebody  higher  up,  he  loses  his  power  of  initial 
effort,  and  never  develops  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
possibilities.  He  is  likely  to  be  a  dependent  all  his 
life.  If  after  long  years  of  service  he  loses  his  place, 
as  often  happens,  he  is  nearly  helpless. 

"I  should  say  to  the  young  man,  strike  out  for 
yourself  as  soon  as  you  can.  Don't  be  afraid  to  take 
a  chance.  Most  of  the  interest  of  life  lies  in  its  un- 
certainties. You  will  have  your  tumbles,  of  course, 
but  the  exercise  of  standing  on  your  own  legs  will 
give  you  strength  to  get  up  again  and  push  on.  One 
of  the  drawbacks  about  a  salaried  place  is  that  a 
man  is  apt  to  lose  keen  interest  in  his  work,  and  in- 
terest is  at  the  foundation  of  energy,  of  concen- 
tration of  inspiration,  even,  of  all  the  elements,  in 

493 


Sir  William  C.  Van  Home 

brief,  that  go  to  make  up  an  adequate  perform- 
ance. 

"If  you  are  interested,  you  will  be  working  with 
vigor  long  after  most  other  men  have  knocked  off, 
tired  out,  as  they  imagine.  I  don't  care  to  talk  about 
myself,  but  I  will  say  that  whatever  my  efforts  have 
amounted  to  they  have  been  impelled  by  strong  in- 
terest." The  man  who  feels  no  enthusiasm  for  his 
work  will  never  accomplish  anything  worth  while. 
Work  that  is  interesting  does  more  than  all  the  doc- 
tors to  keep  men  alive  and  young.  I  endorse  what 
Russell  Sage  says  about  vacations.  I  don't  believe 
in  them.  When  a  man  who  has  worked  hard  for 
many  years  decides  that  he  has  earned  a  long  vaca- 
tion, and  retires  from  business,  it  almost  invariably 
means  the  beginning  of  the  end  for  him. 

"There  is  nothing  strange  in  this.  He  has  suddenly 
cut  off  the  interests  of  a  lifetime,  and  no  longer  has 
momentum  to  carry  him  along  the  road  of  life.  On 
the  other  hand,  look  at  the  old  men  who  have  not 
retired.  Russell  Sage  himself  is  an  excellent  illus- 
tration; but  in  his  city,  New  York,  where  the  business 
pace  is  supposed  to  be  very  swift  and  wearing,  there 
are  many  others — patriarchs  to  whom  the  allotted 
span  of  threescore  years  and  ten  is  beginning  to  look 
like  comparative  youth,  and  yet  who  still  are  handling 
great  interests.  If  they  had  stopped  work  when  they 
had  made  fortunes,  most  of  them  would  have  been 
long  since  dead. 

494 


Railway  Builder 

"Several  years  ago  a  London  physician  of  Lord 
Strathcona  informed  him  that  he  was  in  a  bad  way; 
that  his  friends  would  be  mourning  his  loss  in  a  week 
unless  he  permitted  himself  to  relax.  In  less  than  a 
month  the  death  of  the  doctor  made  it  impossible 
to  withdraw  his  injunction,  so  Lord  Strathcona  has 
been  on  the  go  ever  since.  He  is  over  eighty  now, 
and  is  so  vigorous  that  he  thinks  nothing  of  taking 
little  business  trips  from  London  across  the  Atlantic 
and  the  continent  of  North  America  to  Vancouver. 

"I  believe  in  recreation  of  course,  but  I  think  it 
should  be  of  a  kind  that  involves  activity  of  the 
brain.  My  own  mental  rest  I  find  in  painting  pic- 
tures. I  am  very  fond  of  doing  landscapes.  This 
takes  my  mind  into  a  sphere  rather  remote  from  rail- 
way earnings  and  expenditures,  and  is  refreshing." 

Sir  William  showed  me  a  number  of  his  paintings. 
Some  were  hung  on  his  walls  among  those  of  well- 
known  landscape  artists,  and  in  the  comparison  they 
suffered  not  a  particle.  I  commented  upon  this  fact. 

"You  can't  be  much  of  a  judge  of  art,"  he  answered 
with  a  smile.  In  this  matter,  however,  many  good 
judges  are  agreed.  It  is  remarkable  that  a  rough  and 
ready  man  of  affairs,  a  captain  of  industry  in  the  true 
sense,  should  be  able  to  paint  pictures  of  a  quality 
that  many  a  professional  artist  might  well  envy.  But 
Sir  William  has  even  wider  interests  than  railroad 
building  and  painting.  He  is  largely  identified  with 
financial  enterprises  of  great  magnitude  in  the  United 

495 


Sir  William  C.  Van  Home 

States,  and  at  present  is  much  absorbed  in  developing 
the  resources  of  Cuba,  upon  which  island  he  believes 
there  are  opportunities  among  the  finest  in  the  world 
for  men  of  either  large  or  small  capital. 

In  addition  to  these  pursuits  he  is  a  botanist  and 
geologist  of  wide  and  accurate  knowledge,  and  has 
for  years  been  a  close  student  of  the  civilization  and 
art  of  the  Orient.  Nothing  delights  him  more  than  a 
conversation  on  the  art  products  of  China,  and  he 
takes  great  pleasure  in  showing  his  friends  beautiful 
specimens  in  his  large  collection  of  Oriental  pottery 
and  pictures.  Supplement  to  these  interests  those  of 
the  practical  farmer  and  you  will  have  a  partial  idea 
of  the  range  of  accomplishments  of  a  man  who  was 
making  his  living  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  is  self- 
taught. 

Sir  William  has  an  extensive  farm  not  far  from 
Winnipeg.  On  a  recent  occasion,  when  the  agricul- 
turists of  the  region  were  holding  a  meeting  to  dis- 
cuss their  relations  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way, and  to  air  some  little  grievances  which  they 
thought  they  had,  Sir  William  was  present,  and  was 
called  upon  to  make  a  speech.  He  slowly  arose,  and 
the  tillers  of  the  soil  settled  back  in  their  chairs  to 
listen  to  words  of  great  weight  and  finality  from  the 
master  spirit  of  the  road. 

•"I  am  inclined  to  think,  gentlemen,"  said  Sir 
William  in  one  of  his  opening  sentences,  "that  we 
farmers  are  pretty  well  treated  by  this  road."  From 

496 


Railway  Builder 

this  point  the  agriculturists  were  with  him  to  a  man, 
and  they  left  the  hall  with  the  feeling  that  their  in- 
terests could  not  be  otherwise  than  well  looked  after 
by  the  railroad  company,  since  at  the  head  of  it  they 
had  a  fellow-farmer. 


497 


An  Immigrant  Boy  Becomes  a  Na- 
tional  Figure  in  Reform. 

THERE  died  recently  in  Ohio  a  man  who  made 
a  high  place  for  himself  in  the  community. 
He  won  a  strong  hold  on  the  hearts  of  the 
working  people.     He  commanded  also  the 
respect  and  support  of  the  majority  of  law-abiding 
citizens.     I  refer  to  Samuel  Jones,  late  head  execu- 
tive and  reform  mayor  of  Toledo.     His  fame  spread 
fast  without   the   bounds   of   the   municipality,   and 
throughout  the  nation.    He  became  as  widely  known 
as  Governor  Pingree,  of  Michigan,  as  a  friend  of  the 
people,  and  for  his  peculiar  yet  practical  ideas  of  mu- 
nicipal, social  and  industrial  reform.     He  also  won 
distinction  as  an  able  writer  and  fluent  speaker  on  the 
social  and  economic  conditions  which  affect  our  na- 
tional life  so  strongly  to-day. 

Besides  having  been  a  conspicuous  philanthropist, 
reformer,  public  officer,  orator  and  writer,  it  is  to  be 
noted  that  Mayor  Jones  was,  first  and  last,  a  success- 
ful man  of  business.  He  was  president  of  the  Acme 
Oil  Company;  an  inventor  and  manufacturer  of  a 
successful  patent — the  Acme  sucker-rod — an  imple- 

498 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

ment  for  pumping  oil  wells.  He  made  a  fortune  as  a 
successful  operator  in  oil,  and  did  it  without  in- 
fluence or  backing — by  dint  of  industry,  honesty  and 
push,  starting  as  a  penniless  boy,  with  only  such  edu- 
cation as  he  could  acquire  by  himself. 

A  man  of  large  heart  and  broad  mind,  his  life  pre- 
sents a  stimulating,  wholesome  example  of  the  self- 
made,  conscientious  man  of  wealth  impelled  by  Chris- 
tian sympathy,  and  stung  into  action  by  what  ap- 
peared to  him  to  be  the  stress  of  political,  industrial 
and  social  injustice.  He  embraced  the  opportunity 
which  his  social  position  afforded,  of  carrying  out  and 
putting  into  practice  some  ideas,  of  which,  quoting 
Heine,  he  said:  "They  have  taken  possession  of  me, 
and  are  forcing  me  into  the  conflict  whether  I  will  or 
not." 

As  showing  the  man,  a  few  incidents  are  apropos. 
On  going  to  his  factory,  one  morning,  during  the 
hard  winter  of  1896,  Mr.  Jones  found  that  some  of 
his  office  help  had  affixed  a  sign  to  the  outside  door, 
"No  help  wanted."  This  he  ordered  taken  away  as 
being  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  institution.  "Men 
who  apply  for  work  should  have  at  least  a  decent  re- 
ception," he  said;  "maybe  we  can  help  them  by  kind 
words,  even  if  we  have  no  work  for  them." 

During  the  years  of  financial  depression  the  pros- 
perity of  the  oil  business  was  affected  by  the  condi- 
tions prevalent  throughout  the  country.  Mr.  Jones 
issued  an  order  that  his  work-people  should  not 

499 


Samuel  Jones 

suffer.  "Keep  a  little  flour  in  the  barrel  and  see  that 
they  have  coal  enough  to  keep  them  warm,"  was  the 
order. 

LOVED  BY  HIS  EMPLOYEES. 

He  loved  to  tell  how,  returning  from  a  trip  to 
Europe,  the  warmest  welcome  (and  that  which  shows 
the  popularity  of  the  man)  was  that  given  by  a  crowd 
of  his  employees  gathered  at  the  Toledo  depot  to 
greet  him  as  the  train  rolled  in. 

The  election  of  Mr.  Jones  to  the  mayoralty  of 
Toledo  is  an  interesting  story.  He  was  the  candidate 
nominated  in  the  spring  of  1897  to  bridge  the  chasm 
between  the  two  opposing  factions  in  the  Republican 
party.  The  saloons,  corporations  and  rings  of  the 
city  wer:e  marshaled  against  him,  but  his  stout  sup- 
porters, the  wage-earners  and  the  law-abiding  people, 
carried  the  day  after  a  lively  campaign. 

The  frankness  and  plainness  of  Mr.  Jones  pleased 
the  people  as  well  as  his  eight-hour  day  and  his  ideas 
of  social  equality.  His  messages  as  mayor  to  the 
common  council  of  Toledo  were  models  of  business- 
like integrity  and  acumen,  showing  a  vital  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  city,  and  the  value  of  having  a 
practical  and  upright  business  man  at  the  head  of 
civic  affairs.  Among  measures  pertinent  and  practical 
for  the  city's  self-government  advocated  by  the  mayor 
were  a  single-chambered  board,  city  bids,  the  wage 
system,  a  municipal  lighting  plant,  the  abolishment 

500 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

of  the  contract  system,  the  establishing  of  a  pur- 
chasing agency  to  stop  the  waste  of  department 
buying,  park  and  street  improvements,  etc. 

His  address  before  the  annual  convention  of  the 
League  of  American  Municipalities,  at  Detroit,  on 
"Municipal  Ownership"  was  characterized  as  the  best 
of  the  convention,  and  attracted  wide  attention.  It 
was  repeated  at  Chicago  by  request. 

Mayor  Jones  was  accorded  a  warm  reception 
in  Boston.  He  addressed  the  Twentieth  Century 
Club  at  a  dinner;  he  was  banqueted  by  the  Mayors' 
Organization  of  Massachusetts;  he  dined  with  Mayor 
Quincy,  who  is  something  of  a  reformer  himself;  and 
he  gave  utterance  to  his  views  at  a  public  mass- 
meeting  of  Boston's  best  people.  But  with  character- 
istic modesty,  he  looked  upon  such  invitations  merely 
as  new  opportunities  to  spread  the  new  gospel,  and 
not  in  any  sense  as  the  means  of  bringing  fame  or 
glory  to  himself. 

The  story  of  Mr.  Jones's  successful  career  carries 
with  it  encouragement  and  example  for  the  young 
man  who  starts  in  life  with  no  capital  but  manliness, 
courage,  persistency,  and  a  willingness  to  work. 

BORN    IN    A    HUMBLE    HOME. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  1846,  in  Wales.  Of  his  hum- 
ble home  he  says:  "It  could  scarcely  be  dignified  by 
the  name  of  cottage,  for,  as  I  saw  it  a  few  years  ago, 
it  seemed  a  little  barren  hut,  though  still  occupied." 

501 


Samuel  Jones 

It  was  in  memory  of  this  modest  birthplace  over  the 
sea,  which  is  known  as  Tan  y  Craig  (under  the  rock), 
that  Mr.  Jones  named  his  handsome  Toledo  man- 
sion Tan  y  Oderwen  (under  the  oak). 

Perhaps  the  following  autobiographical  statement 
will  serve  better  than  anything  I  could  write  to  pre- 
sent his  life  story: 

"I  came  with  my  parents  to  America  when  I  was 
three  years  old,  and  I  have  often  heard  them  tell  of 
the  tedious  voyage  of  thirty  days  in  an  emigrant  sail- 
ing ship,  and  the  subsequent  voyage  over  the  Erie 
Canal  to  central  New  York,  where  they  settled  in 
Lewis  County.  My  parents  were  very  poor  and  very 
pious.  The  poverty  in  our  family  was  so  stringent 
that  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  go  out  and  work,  and 
I  bear  upon  my  body  to-day  the  marks  of  the  in- 
justice and  wrong  of  child  labor. 

"At  the  age  of  eighteen  I  heard  of  the  opportunities 
in  the  oil  regions  in  Pennsylvania,  and  at  once  made 
my  way  to  Titusville.  I  landed  there  with  fifteen 
cents  in  my  pocket,  and  without  an  acquaintance  in 
the  State.  For  three  days  I  went  through  one  of  the 
most  trying  experiences  of  any  young  man's  life — 
living  without  money  and  seeking  work  among 
strangers.  I  had  promised  to  write  to  my  mother, 
and  I  used  hotel  stationery  to  fulfil  my  promise, 
but  was  without  the  necessary  three  cents  then  needed 
to  purchase  a  postage  stamp.  This  was  one  of  the 
hardest  financial  problems  of  my  life.  I  overcame  it 

502 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

through  stratagem.  Seeing  a  man  on  the  way  to  the 
post-office  with  a  bundle  of  letters  I  inquired  of  him: 
'Are  you  going  to  the  post-office?'  'Yes,  sir,'  he  said. 
'Will  you  have  the  kindness  to  mail  this  for  me?'  At 
the  same  time  I  put  my  hand  into  my  empty  pocket 
in  search  of  the  necessary  coin,  fumbling  my  pocket- 
knife  and  keys  a  moment.  The  gentleman  kindly  said: 
'Never  mind,  I'll  stamp  it,'  and  the  revenue  was  pro- 
vided which  took  my  first  letter  to  my  mother. 

THE    LAND   OF   OPPORTUNITIES. 

"But  I  was  on  the  right  track;  I  was  in  a  land  of 
opportunities.  I  soon  found  work  and  a  business  that 
was  to  my  taste;  a  business,  too,  that  the  good  Provi- 
dence has  removed  in  part,  at  least,  from  the  domain 
of  the  competitive  destroyer — the  business  of  pro- 
ducing crude  petroleum  from  the  earth. 

"Since  1870  I  have  been  more  or  less  of  an  oil  pro- 
ducer. In  1866,  I  came  to  the  Ohio  oil  fields  and  be- 
gan the  business  of  producing  oil  at  Lima.  Since  that 
time  I  have  followed  it  both  in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and 
to  some  extent  in  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia. 
In  1893  I  invented  some  improvements  in  appliances 
for  producing  oil,  and,  finding  manufacturers  unwill- 
ing to  make  the  articles,  fearing  there  would  be  no 
profit,  I  concluded  to  undertake  their  manufacture. 
This  brought  me  in  contact  with  labor  conditions  in  a 
city  for  the  first  time  in  my  life.  As  a  rule,  labor  in 
the  oil  fields  had  enjoyed  large  wages  compared  with 

503 


Samuel  Jones 

similar  classes  outside.  I  found  men  working  in 
Toledo  for  a  fraction  of  a  dollar  a  day.  I  began 
to  wonder  how  it  was  possible  for  men  to  live  on  such 
a  small  sum  of  money  in  a  way  becoming  to  citizens 
of  a  free  republic.  I  studied  social  conditions,  and 
these  led  me  to  feel  very  keenly  the  degradation  of 
my  fellow-men,  and  I  at  once  declared  that  the  'going 
wages'  rule  should  not  govern  in  the  Acme  Sucker- 
Rod  Company,  which  is  the  firm  name  of  our  busi- 
ness. I  said  that  the  rule  that  every  man  is  entitled 
to  such  a  share  of  the  product  of  his  toil  as  will  enable 
him  to  live  decently,  and  in  such  a  way  that  he  and 
his  children  may  be  fitted  to  be  citizens  of  the  free 
republic,  should  be  the  rule  governing  the  wages  of 
our  establishment. 

"To  break  down  the  feeling  of  social  inequality,  we 
began  to  'get  together,' — that  is,  we  had  little  excur- 
sions down  the  bay.  We  invited  our  workmen  and 
their  families,  and  also  some  other  people  who  live  in 
big  houses  and  do  not  work  with  their  hands.  We 
sought  to  mix  them,  to  let  them  understand  that  we 
were  all  people — just  people,  you  know. 

GOOD  WILL  AND  FELLOWSHIP  IN  BUSINESS. 

"As  our  busines  increased,  we  took  in  new  men. 
We  made  no  special  effort  to  select.  We  asked  no 
questions  as  to  their  habits,  their  morals,  their  re- 
ligion or  their  irreligion.  We  were  ignoring  the  sacred 
rule  of  business,  getting  along  in  a  sort  of  free  an<] 

504 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

easy  way,  occasionally  giving  the  boys  a  word  of  cau- 
tion, printed  on  the  envelopes;  then,  perhaps,  a  little 
letter  expressing  good  will  and  fellowship.  Then  we 
came  to  feel  the  need  of  a  rule  to  govern  the  place. 
We  thought,  to  that  extent,  we  ought  to  be  like  other 
people.  So  we  had  the  following  printed  on  a  piece  of 
tin  and  nailed  to  the  wall.  It's  there  to-day: 

"The  Rule  Governing  This  Factory:  Therefore, 
whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do 
ye  even  so  unto  them.' 

"In  1895,  at  Christmas  time,  we  made  a  little  cash 
dividend,  accompanying  it  with  such  a  letter  as  we  be- 
lieved would  be  helpful.  In  1896,  we  repeated  the 
dividend  and  the  letter.  In  1897  and  1898  we  did  the 
same." 

In  response  to  the  query  as  to  how  he  would  regu- 
late property  interests,  Mayor  Jones  said: 

"If  you  will  read  the  Fourth  of  Acts  and  see  how 
property  was  regarded  and  treated  by  the  early  Chris- 
tians, you  will  read  what  I  believe  to  be  the  one  scien- 
tific way  in  which  property  can  be  handled  for  the 
good  of  all.  The  manifest  destiny  of  the  world  is  to 
realize  brotherhood.  We  are  brothers,  not  competi- 
tors." 

"What  would  you  advise  the  rising  generation  to 
do  to  bring  about  such  a  realization?" 

"That  is  an  important  question,"  replied  the  mayor. 
"Well,  I  am  free  to  answer  that  I  think  by  far  the 
best  thing  that  the  Acme  Sucker-Rod  Company  has 

505 


Samuel  Jones 

done  has  been  to  open  the  adjoining  corner  lot  as  a 
Golden  Rule  park  and  playground.  Here  is  a  spot  of 
God's  green  earth  in  the  heart  of  the  industrial  part 
of  our  city  that  is  as  free  to  the  people  as  when  the 
red  Indian  trod  there.  And  I  am  sure  that  the  health- 
ful play  of  the  children  and  the  delightful  studies  of 
the  older  ones  as  we  discuss  the  questions  of  brother- 
hood, golden  rule,  and  right  relations  generally,  in 
our  Sunday  afternoon  meetings,  will  do  more  to  bring 
about  the  era  of  peace  and  good  will  than  all  else  that 
lhas  been  done  there.  And  now  we  have  added 
Golden  Rule  Hall,  where  we  may  continue  these 
studies,  for  we  must  first  understand  our  disease  be- 
fore we  can  apply  the  remedy. 

TRYJNG  TO  LEARN  HOW  TO  HELP  EACH  OTHER. 

"How  delightful  are  the  hours  which  we  pass  to- 
gether in  the  study  of  the  question  of  right  social  re- 
lations! How  much  like  men  it  makes  us  feel  to 
think  that  we  are  spending  a  part  of  our  time  in  try- 
ing to  learn  how  we  can  help  each  other;  that  is,  help 
all  the  people,  instead  of  devoting  it  all  to  the  piggish 
business  of  helping  ourselves! 

"As  an  outgrowth  of  that  spirit,  during  the  past 
year,  we  have:  our  cooperative  insurance;  the  Co- 
operative Oil  Company;  the  Tuesday  Night  Social 
Study  Club;  and  the  Equality  Club. 

"Our  experience  has  been  progressive,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, profitable,  in  a  moral  as  well  as  a  material  way. 

506 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

I  have  learned  much  of  my  relation  to  my  fellow- 
men.  I  have  learned  that  we  are  all  dependent  on 
each  other. 

"In  introducing  the  shorter  workday  and  trying 
to  establish  living  wages  we  have  tried  to  acknowl- 
edge, in  some  measure,  the  relation  of  brotherhood 
that  exists  between  us  and  all  other  men;  for  we  must 
remember  that  this  bond  is  only  limited  by  the  con- 
fines of  the  globe  itself." 

"When  I  first  took  office  I  ignored  the  professional 
politicians.  Some  of  my  friends  expostulated  with 
me.  They  assured  me  that  I  was  ruining  my  future. 
I  answered  that  I  did  not  want  a  future  based  upon 
a  disregard  of  the  principle  that  an  officeholder 
should  faithfuly  serve  the  people.  I  told  them  that 
I  would  be  glad  to  sacrifice  my  chances  for  a  second 
term  as  mayor,  if  I  could  be  equal  to  the  responsibili- 
ties that  were  pressing  upon  me.  They  laughed,  and 
called  me  impracticable — a  dreamer.  And  yet,  my 
way,  so  far,  has  proved  successful,  even  from  their 
standard  of  success,  which,  in  some  particulars,  is 
quite  remote  from  my  own.  My  political  experience 
has  been  of  great  encouragement  to  me.  It  has 
made  me  feel  that,  despite  the  seeming  success  of 
mere  self-seekers,  honesty  of  purpose  in  the  dis- 
charge of  public  duties  will,  in  the  end,  prevail. 


507 


Samuel  Jones 


YOUNG  MEN  IN  POLITICS. 

"And  because  I  believe  this  is  true,  I  hope  to  see 
earnest,  honest  young  men  go  into  politics.  If  they 
have  strong  convictions  of  what  is  right,  and  force  of 
character  enough  to  hold  to  these  convictions  against 
the  many  wrongful  pressures  and  influences  of  politi- 
cal life,  they  will  achieve  success  of  the  best  kind. 

"To-day,  more  than  ever  before  in  its  history,  the 
country  needs  men  of  this  kind.  Conditions  have 
come  into  existence  which  must  be  changed.  From 
an  experience  of  years  in  practical  business,  I  say 
that  the  young  man  now  starts  in  commercial  life 
heavily  handicapped.  In  almost  every  line  of  busi- 
ness, he  must  fight  great  accumulations  of  capital, 
that  usually  either  crush  him  or  make  a  hireling  of 
him.  It  has  been  said  that  the  very  name  of  America 
is  a  synonym  of  opportunity.  It  was  so  once,  but  my 
experience  has  taught  me  that  this  is  entirely  true  no 
longer. 

EVILS  OF  CONCENTRATION. 

"  In  my  opinion,  the  reason  for  the  present  hard 
conditions  for  the  rank  and  file  of  men  is  the  con- 
centration of  business  within  a  few  hands.  This  is  a 
vast  subject,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  discuss  it  now.  I 
only  want  to  say  that  the  remedy  for  the  evil,  which 
is  felt  most  keenly  by  young  men  trying  to  succeed 
in  life,  lies  largely  in  their  own  hands.  Let  them 

JOB 


The  "Golden  Rule"  Mayor 

interest  themselves  in  politics  and  insist,  in  the  first 
place,  that  public  utilities  in  cities,  such  as  gas  works 
and  street-car  lines,  which  all  the  people  must  use, 
and  which  bring  in  great  revenues,  be  conducted  for 
the  benefit  of  the  people  at  large,  instead  of  for  a  few 
individuals.  This  would  be  only  the  first  step  to  bring 
about  improvement,  but  it  would  be  a  very  important 
one.  The  present  conditions  may  be  worse  before 
they  are  better,  but,  sooner  or  later,  the  problem 
will  be  solved.  I  have  too  much  faith  in  the  Ameri- 
can people  not  to  be  sanguine  of  the  future.  And 
even  now,  although  fortunes  cannot  be  acquired  as 
easily  as  they  used  to  be,  there  are  ample  opportuni- 
ties to  acquire  true  success  in  life. 

A  WRONG  CONCEPTION  OF  SUCCESS. 

"The  trouble  with  a  great  many  young  men  is  that 
they  have  a  wrong  conception  of  success.  Large 
numbers  imagine  it  lies  in  mere  money-making.  Yet 
the  average  millionaire  is  not  a  happy  or  even  a  con- 
tented man.  He  has  been  so  engrossed  from  his 
youth  in  piling  up  dollars  that  he  has  had  no  time  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  higher  qualities  of  his  mind  and 
heart,  in  the  exercise  of  which  the  only  true  happiness 
is  to  be  found.  You  may  remember  that  Emerson 
said :  'Happiness  lies  only  in  the  triumph  of  principle.' 

"Of  course,  a  certain  amount  of  money  is  a  neces- 
sity, and  more  of  it  enables  one  to  enjoy  many  things 
which  would  be  an  impossibility  without  it.  I  am 

509 


Samuel  Jones 

not  advising  any  young  man  not  to  do  all  he  can  in  a 
legitimate  way  to  make  money;  but,  if  he  is  success- 
ful, he  must  be  careful  to  keep  money  his  servant,  and 
not  let  it  become  his  master. 

SLAVES   OF   WEALTH. 

"  Many  rich  men  are  the  slaves  of  their  own  wealth, 
and  their  sons,  growing  up  without  a  purpose  in  life, 
never  know  what  real  living  is.  I  knew  what  poverty 
was  when  I  was  a  young  man,  and  few  have  suffered 
from  it  more  than  I.  Yet  now  I  am  thankful  for  it, 
because  it  made  me  work.  To  live,  we  must  work, 
and  one  must  work  to  live.  It  is  not  birth,  nor 
money,  nor  a  college  education,  that  makes  a  man; 
it  is  work.  It  has  brought  me  commercial  success. 
I  am  a  practical  man,  yet  I  can  never  express  too 
earnestly  my  thankfulness  that  I  learned  from  my 
good  mother  to  set  up  usefulness  as  my  standard  of 
success — usefulness  to  others  as  well  as  to  mvself." 


510 


LIV 

A  "  Forty-niner "  who  Seized  Op- 
portunities Others  Failed  to 
See. 

1   FOUND  Mr.  Armour  in  his  crowded  office  at 
205  La  Salle  street,  Chicago,  an  office  in  which 
a  snowstorm  of  white  letters  falls  thickly  upon 
a  mass  of  dark  desks,  and  where  brass  and 
lamps   and   electrical   instruments   abound,   yet   not 
much  more  than  do  the  hurrying  men.    Such  a  mob- 
ilization of  energy  to  promote  the  private  affairs  of 
one  man  I  had  never  seen. 

"Is  Mr.  Armour  within?"  I  asked,  supposing,  since 
it  was  but  9:30  A.M.,  that  he  had  not  arrived. 

"He  is,"  said  the  attendant,  "and  has  been  since 
half-past  seven." 

"Does  he  usually  arrive  so  early?"  I  inquired. 
"Always,"  was  the  significant  reply. 
I  presented  my  letters,  and  was  soon  informed  that 
they  were  of  no  avail  there.  Mr.  Armour  could  see  me 
only  after  the  crush  of  the  day's  affairs — that  is,  at  6 
P.M.,  and  then  in  the  quiet  of  the  Armour  Institute, 
his  great  philanthropic  school  for  young  men  and 

5" 


Philip  D.  Armour 

women.  He  was  very  courteous,  and  there  was  no 
delay.  He  took  my  hand  with  a  firm  grasp,  evidently 
reading  with  his  steady  gaze  such  of  my  characteris- 
tics as  interested  him  and  saying  at  the  same  time, 
"Well,  sir." 

"Mr.  Armour,"  I  said,  "will  you  answer  enough 
questions  concerning  your  life  to  illustrate  for  our 
readers  what  success  means?" 

The  great  Hercules  of  American  industry  visibly 
recoiled  at  the  thought  of  implied  notoriety,  having, 
until  the  present  time,  steadily  veiled  his  personality 
and  general  affairs  as  much  as  possible  from  public 
gaze. 

"I  am  only  a  plain  merchant,"  he  answered. 

A  BOY'S  CHANCE  TO-DAY. 

"Do  you  consider,"  I  said,  "that  the  average  Amer- 
ican boy  of  to-day  has  equally  as  good  a  chance  to 
succeed  in  the  world  as  you  had  when  you  began 
life?" 

"Every  bit,  and  better.  The  affairs  of  life  are 
larger.  There  are  greater  things  to  do.  There  was 
never  before  such  a  demand  for  able  men." 

"Were  the  conditions  surrounding  your  youth  es- 
pecially difficult?" 

"No.  They  were  those  common  to  a  very  small  New 
York  town  in  1832.  I  was  born  at  Stockbridge,  in 
Madison  County.  Our  family  had  its  roots  in  Scot- 
land. My  father's  ancestors  were  the  Robertsons, 

512 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

Watsons  and  McGregors  of  Scotland;  my  mother 
came  of  the  Puritans  who  settled  in  Connecticut." 

"Dr.  Gunsaulus  says,"  I  ventured,  "that  all  these 
streams  of  heredity  set  toward  business  affairs." 

INHERITED  QUALITIES. 

"Perhaps  so.  I  liked  trading  as  well.  My  father 
was  reasonably  prosperous  and  independent  for  those 
times.  My  mother  had  been  a  school-teacher.  There 
were  six  boys,  and,  of  course,  such  a  household  had 
to  be  managed  with  the  strictest  economy  in  those 
days.  My  mother  thought  it  her  duty  to  bring  to  our 
home  some  of  the  rigid  discipline  of  the  schoolroom. 
We  were  all  trained  to  work  together,  and  everything 
was  done  as  systematically  as  possible." 

"Had  you  access  to  any  books?" 

"Yes,  the  Bible,  'Pilgrim's  Progress,'  and  a  history 
of  the  United  States." 

It  is  said  of  the  latter,  by  those  closest  to  Mr. 
Armour,  that  it  was  as  full  of  shouting  Americanism 
as  anything  ever  written,  and  that  Mr.  Armour's 
whole  nature  was  colored  by  its  stout  American  pre- 
judices; also,  that  it  was  read  and  re-read  by  the 
Armour  children,  though  of  this  the  great  merchant 
would  not  speak. 

"Were  you  always  of  a  robust  constitution?"  I 
asked. 

"Yes,  sir.  All  our  boys  were.  We  were  stout 
enough  to  be  bathed  in  an  ice-cold  spring,  out  of 

513 


Philip  D.  Armour 

doors,  when  at  home.  There  weren't  any  bath-tubs 
and  warm  water  arrangements  in  those  days.  We 
had  to  be  strong.  My  father  was  a  stern  Scotchman, 
and  when  he  laid  his  plans  they  were  carried  out. 
When  he  set  us  boys  to  work,  we  worked.  It 
was  our  mother  who  insisted  on  keeping  us  all  at 
school,  and  who  looked  after  our  educational  needs, 
while  our  father  saw  to  it  that  we  had  plenty  of 
good  hard  work  on  the  farm." 

"How  did  you  enjoy  that  sort  of  life?"  I  asked. 

"Well  enough,  but  not  much  more  than  any  boy 
does.  Boys  are  always  more  or  less  afraid  of  hard 
work." 

The  truth  is,  though  Mr.  Armour  laughed  it  out 
of  court  as  not  worth  discussing,  that  when  he  at- 
tended the  district  school  he  was  as  full  of  pranks  and 
capers  as  the  best,  and  traded  jack-knives  in  summer 
and  bob-sleds  in  winter. 

LEAVING  THE  FARM. 

Young  Armour  was  often  to  be  found,  in  the  win- 
ter, coasting  down  the  long  hill  near  the  schoolhouse; 
and,  later,  his  experience  at  the  Cazenovia  Seminary 
was  such  as  to  indicate  that  some  of  the  brightest 
people  finish  their  education  rather  more  suddenly 
than  their  family  and  friends  might  desire 

"When  did  you  leave  the  farm  for  a  mercantile 
life?"  I  asked. 

"I  was  clerk  in  a  store  in  Stockbridge  for  two 

5H 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

years,  after  I  was  seventeen,  but  was  mixed  up  with 
the  farm  more  or  less,  and  wanted  to  get  out  of  that 
life.  I  was  a  little  over  seventeen  years  old  when  the 
gold  excitement  of  1849  reached  our  town.  Wonder- 
ful tales  were  told  of  gold  already  found  and  the 
prospects  for  more  on  the  Pacific  coast.  I  was  taken 
with  the  fever,  and  brooded  over  the  difference  be- 
tween tossing  hay  in  the  hot  sun  and  digging  up  gold 
by  handfuls,  until  one  day  I  threw  down  my  pitch- 
fork and  went  over  to  the  house  and  told  mother  that 
I  had  quit  that  kind  of  work. 

"People  with  plenty  of  money  could  sail  around 
Cape  Horn  in  those  days,  but  I  had  no  money  to 
spare,  and  so  decided  to  walk  across  the  country. 
That  is,  we  were  carried  part  of  the  way  by  rail  and 
walked  the  rest.  I  persuaded  one  of  the  neighbor's 
boys,  Calvin  Gilbert,  to  go  along  with  me,  and  we 
started." 

"How  did  you  fare?" 

"Rather  roughly.  I  provided  myself  with  an  old 
carpet  sack,  into  which  I  put  my  clothes.  I  bought 
a  new  pair  of  boots,  and  when  we  had  gone  as  far  as 
we  could  on  canals  and  wagons,  I  bought  two  oxen. 
With  these  we  managed  for  awhile,  but  eventually 
reached  California  afoot." 

A  MINING  VENTURE. 

He  suffered  a  severe  illness  on  the  journey,  and 
was  nursed  by  his  companion,  Gilbert,  who  gathered 


Philip  D.  Armour 

herbs  and  steeped  them  for  his  friend's  use,  and  once 
rode  thirty  miles  in  the  rain  to  get  a  doctor.  When 
they  reached  California  he  fell  in  with  Edward  Croar- 
kin,  a  miner,  who  nursed  him  back  to  health.  The 
manner  in  which  he  remembered  these  men  gives 
keen  satisfaction  to  the  friends  of  the  great  merchant. 

"Did  you  have  any  money  when  you  arrived  at  the 
gold-fields?" 

"Scarcely  any.  I  struck  right  out,  though,  and 
found  a  place  where  I  could  dig,  and  I  struck  pay  dirt 
in  a  little  time." 

"Did  you  work  entirely  alone?" 

"No.  It  was  not  long  before  I  met  Mr.  Croarkin 
at  a  little  mining  camp  called  Virginia.  He  had  the 
next  claim  to  mine,  and  we  became  partners.  After 
a  little  while  he  went  away,  but  came  back  in  a  year. 
We  then  bought  in  together.  The  way  we  ran  things 
was  "turn  about."  Croarkin  would  cook  one  week 
and  I  the  next,  and  then  we  would  have  a  clean-up 
every  Sunday  morning.  We  baked  our  own  bread, 
and  kept  a  few  hens,  which  kept  us  supplied  with 
eggs.  There  was  a  man  named  Chapin  who  had  a 
little  store  in  the  village,  and  we  would  take  our  gold 
dust  there  and  trade  it  for  groceries." 

"Did  you  discover  much  gold?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  I  worked  with  pretty  good  success — nothing 
startling.  I  didn't  waste  much,  and  tried  to  live  as 
carefully  as  I  ever  had.  I  also  studied  the  business 
opportunities  around,  and  persuaded  some  of  my 

516 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

friends  to  join  me  in  buying  and  developing  a 
"ditch" — a  kind  of  aqueduct — to  convey  water  to  dig- 
gers and  washers.  That  proved  more  profitable  than 
digging  for  gold,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  the  others 
sold  out  to  me,  took  their  earnings  and  went  home. 
I  stayed  and  bought  up  several  other  water-powers, 
until,  in  1856,  I  thought  I  had  enough,  and  so  I  sold 
out  and  came  East." 

"How  much  had  you  made,  altogether?" 

"About  four  thousand  dollars." 

"Did  you  return  to  Stockbridge?" 

HE  ENTERS  THE  GRAIN   MARKET. 

"For  a  little  while.  My  ambition  was  setting  in 
another  direction.  I  had  been  studying  the  methods 
then  used  for  moving  the  vast  and  growing  food 
products  of  the  West,  such  as  grain  and  cattle,  and  I 
believed  that  I  could  improve  them  and  make  money. 
The  idea  and  the  field  interested  me  and  I  decided  to 
enter  it. 

"Well,  my  standing  was  good,  and  I  raised  the 
money  and  bought  what  was  then  the  largest  elevator 
in  Milwaukee.  This  put  me  in  contact  with  the  move- 
ment of  grain.  At  that  time  John  Plankinton  had 
been  established  in  Milwaukee  a  number  of  years, 
and,  in  partnership  with  Frederick  Layton,  had  built 
up  a  good  pork-packing  concern.  I  bought  in  with 
those  gentlemen,  and  so  came  in  contact  with  the 

517 


Philip  D.  Armour 

work  I  liked.  One  of  my  brothers,  Herman,  had 
established  himself  in  Chicago  some  time  before  in 
the  grain-commission  business.  I  got  him  to  turn 
that  over  to  the  care  of  another  brother,  Joseph,  so 
that  he  might  go  to  New  York  as  a  member  of  the 
new  firm,  of  which  I  was  a  partner.  It  was  important 
that  the  Milwaukee  and  Chicago  houses  should  be 
able  to  ship  to  a  house  of  their  own  in  New  York — 
that  is,  to  themselves.  Risks  were  avoided  in  this 
way,  and  we  were  certain  of  obtaining  all  that  the 
ever-changing  markets  could  offer  us." 

"When  did  you  begin  to  build  up  your  Chicago 
interests?" 

"They  were  really  begun,  before  the  war,  by  my 
brother  Herman.  When  he  went  to  New  York  for 
us  we  began  adding  a  small  packing-house  to  the 
Chicago  commission  branch.  It  gradually  grew  with 
the  growth  of  the  West." 

"Is  there  any  one  thing  that  accounts  for  the  im- 
mense growth  of  the  packing  industry  here?"  I 
asked. 

"System  and  the  growth  of  the  West  did  it.  Things 
were  changing  at  startling  rates  in  those  days.  The 
West  was  growing  fast.  Its  great  areas  of  produc- 
tion offered  good  profits  to  men  who  would  handle 
and  ship  the  products.  Railway  lines  were  reaching 
out  in  new  directions  or  increasing  their  capacities 
and  lowering  their  rates  of  transportation.  These 
changes  and  the  growth  of  the  country  made  the 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

creation  of  a  food-gathering  and  delivering  system 
necessary.  Other  things  helped.  At  that  time  (1863) 
a  great  many  could  see  that  the  war  was  going  to 
terminate  favorably  for  the  Union.  Farming  opera- 
tions had  been  enlarged  by  the  war  demand  and  war 
prices.  The  State  banking  system  had  been  done 
away  with,  and  we  had  a  uniform  currency,  available 
everywhere,  so  that  exchanges  between  the  East  and 
the  West  had  become  greatly  simplified.  Nothing 
more  was  needed  than  a  steady  watchfulness  of  the 
markets  by  competent  men  in  continuous  telegraphic 
communication  with  each  other,  and  who  knew  the 
legitimate  demand  and  supply,  in  order  to  sell  all 
products  quickly  and  with  profit." 

QUALITIES  THAT   BRING   SUCCESS. 

"Do  you  believe  that  system  does  so  much?"  I 
ventured. 

"System  and  good  measure.  Give  a  measure 
heaped  full  and  running  over  and  success  is  certain. 
That  is  what  it  means  to  be  intelligent  servants  of 
a  great  public  need.  We  believed  in  thoughtfully 
adopting  every  attainable  improvement,  mechanical 
or  otherwise,  in  the  methods  and  appliances  for 
handling  every  pound  of  grain  or  flesh.  Right  liber- 
ality and  right  economy  will  do  everything  where  a 
public  need  is  being  served." 

"Have  your  methods  improved  any  with  years?" 

519 


Philip  D.  Armour 

"All  the  time.  There  was  a  time  when  many  parts 
of  cattle  were  wasted,  and  the  health  of  the  city  in- 
jured by  the  refuse.  Now,  by  adopting  the  best 
known  methods,  nothing  is  wasted,  and  buttons,  fer- 
tilizer, glue  and  other  things  are  made  cheaper  and 
better  for  the  world  in  general  out  of  material  that 
was  before  a  waste  and  a  menace.  I  believe  in  finding 
out  the  truth  about  all  things — the  very  latest  truth 
or  discovery — and  applying  it." 

"You  attribute  nothing  to  good  fortune?"  . 

"Nothing!"  Certainly  the  word  came  well  from  a 
man  whose  energy,  integrity  and  business  ability 
made  more  money  out  of  a  ditch  than  other  men  were 
making  out  of  rich  placers  in  the  gold  region. 

"May  I  ask  what  you  consider  the  turning-point  of 
your  career?" 

"The  time  when  I  began  to  save  the  money  I 
earned  at  the  gold-fields." 

"What  trait  do  you  consider  most  essential  in 
young  men?" 

"Truth.  Let  them  get  that.  Young  men  talk  about 
getting  capital  to  work  with.  Let  them  get  truth  on 
board,  and  capital  follows.  It's  easy  enough  to  get 
that." 

"Did  you  always  desire  to  follow  a  commercial 
rather  than  a  professional  life?" 

"Not  always.  I  have  no  talent  in  any  other 
direction,  but  I  should  have  liked  to  be  a  great 
orator." 


520 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 


THE  GENESIS  OF  A  GREAT  BENEVOLENCE. 

Mr.  Armour  would  say  no  more  on  this  subject, 
but  his  admiration  for  oratory  has  been  demon- 
strated in  a  remarkable  way.  It  was  after  a  Sunday 
morning  discourse  by  the  splendid  orator,  Dr.  Gun- 
saulus,  at  Plymouth  Church,  Chicago,  in  which  the 
latter  had  set  forth  his  views  on  the  subject  of  edu- 
cating children,  that  Mr.  Armour  came  forward  and 
said: 

"You  believe  in  those  ideas  of  yours,  do  you?" 

"I  certainly  do,"  said  Dr.  Gunsaulus. 

"And  would  you  carry  them  out  if  you  had  the  op- 
portunity?" 

"I  would." 

"Well,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Armour,  "if  you  will  give 
me  five  years  of  your  time,  I  will  give  you  the 
money." 

"But  to  carry  out  my  ideas  would  take  a  million 
dollars!"  exclaimed  Gunsaulus. 

"I  have  made  a  little  money  in  my  time,"  returned 
Mr.  Armour,  and  so  the  famous  Armour  Institute  of 
Technology,  to  which  its  founder  has  already  given 
sums  aggregating  $2,800,000,  was  associated  with  Mr. 
Armour's  love  of  oratory. 

One  of  his  lieutenants  says  that  Gerritt  Smith,  the 
old  abolitionist,  was  Armour's  boyhood  hero,  and 
that  Mr.  Armour  would  go  far  to  hear  a  good 
speaker,  often  remarking  that  he  would  have  pre- 
521 


Philip  D.  Armour 

ferred  to  be  a  great  orator  rather  than  a  great  capi- 
talist. 

"There  is  no  need  to  ask  you,"  I  continued, 
"whether  you  believe  in  constant,  hard  labor?" 

"I  should  not  call  it  hard.  I  believe  in  close  appli- 
cation, of  course,  while  laboring.  Overwork  is  not 
necessary  to  success.  Every  man  should  have  plenty 
of  rest.  I  have." 

"You  must  rise  early  to  be  at  your  office  at  half- 
past  seven?" 

"Yes,  but  I  go  to  bed  early.  I  am  not  burning  the 
candle  at  both  ends." 

The  enormous  energy  of  this  man,  who  was  too 
modest  to  discuss  it,  was  displayed  in  the  most  normal 
manner.  Though  he  sat  all  day  at  a  desk  which  had 
direct  cable  connection  with  London,  Liverpool,  Cal- 
cutta, and  other  great  centers  of  trade,  with  which 
he  was  in  constant  connection;  though  he  had  at  his 
hand  long-distance  telephone  connection  with  New 
York,  New  Orleans  and  San  Francisco,  and  direct 
wires  from  his  room  to  almost  all  part  of  the  world, 
conveying  messages  in  short  sentences  upon  subjects 
which  involved  the  moving  of  vast  amounts  of  stock 
and  cereals,  and  the  exchange  of  millions  in  money, 
he  was  not,  seemingly,  an  overworked  man.  The 
great  subjects  to  which  he  gave  calm,  undivided  at- 
tention from  early  morning  until  evening  were  laid 
aside  with  the  ease  with  which  one  doffs  his  raiment, 
and  outside  of  his  office  the  cares  weighed  upon 

522 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

him  no  more.  His  mind  took  up  new  and  simpler 
things. 

"What  do  you  do,"  I  inquired,  "after  your  hard 
day's  work — think  about  it?" 

"Not  at  all.  I  drive,  take  up  home  subjects,  and 
never  think  of  the  office  until  I  return  to  it." 

"Your  sleep  is  never  disturbed?" 

"Not  at  all." 

A  BUSINESS  KING. 

And  yet  the  business  which  this  man  could  forget 
when  he  gathered  children  about  him  and  moved  in 
his  simple  home  circle  amounted,  in  1897,  to  over 
$102,000,000  worth  of  food  products,  manufactured 
and  distributed.  The  hogs  killed  were  1,750,000;  the 
cattle  were  1,080,000;  the  sheep,  625,000.  Eleven 
thousand  men  were  constantly  employed,  and  the 
wages  paid  them  were  over  $5,500,000;  the  railway 
cars  owned  and  moving  about  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, four  thousand;  the  wagons  of  many  kinds  and  of 
large  number,  drawn  by  750  horses.  The  glue  fac- 
tory, employing  750  hands,  made  over  twelve  million 
pounds  of  glue!  In  his  private  office,  it  is  he  who  took 
care  of  all  the  general  affairs  of  this  immense  world 
of  industry,  and  yet  at  half-past  four  he  was  done,  and 
the  whole  subject  was  comfortably  off  his  mind. 

"Do  you  believe  in  inherited  abilities,  or  that  any 
boy  can  be  taught  and  trained,  and  made  a  great  and 
able  man?" 

523 


Philip  D.  Armour 

"I  recognize  inherited  ability.  Some  people  have 
it,  and  only  in  a  certain  direction;  but  I  think  men  can 
be  taught  and  trained  so  that  they  become  much  bet- 
ter and  more  useful  than  they  would  be  otherwise. 
Some  boys  require  more  training  and  teaching  than 
others.  There  is  prosperity  for  everyone,  according 
to  his  ability." 

"What  would  you  do  with  those  who  are  naturally 
less  competent  than  others?" 

"Train  them,  and  give  them  work  according  to 
their  ability.  I  believe  that  life  is  all  right,  and  that 
this  difference  which  nature  makes  is  all  right.  Every- 
thing is  good,  and  is  coming  out  satisfactorily,  and  we 
ought  to  make  the  most  of  conditions,  and  try  to  use 
and  improve  everything.  The  work  needed  is  here, 
and  everyone  should  set  about  doing  it." 

When,  in  1893,  local  forces  planned  to  defeat  him 
in  the  grain  market,  and  everyone  was  crying  that  at 
last  the  great  Goliath  had  met  his  David,  he  was  all 
energy.  He  had  ordered  immense  quantities  of 
wheat.  The  opposition  had  shrewdly  secured  every 
available  place  of  storage,  and  rejoiced  that  the  great 
packer,  having  no  place  to  store  his  property,  would 
suffer  immense  loss,  and  must  capitulate.  He  fore- 
saw the  fray  and  its  dangers,  and,  going  over  on 
Goose  Island,  bought  property  at  any  price,  and  be- 
gan the  construction  of  immense  elevators.  The 
town  was  placarded  with  the  truth  that  anyone 
could  get  work  at  Armour's  elevators.  No  one  be- 

524 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

lieved  they  could  be  done  in  time,  but  three  shifts  of 
men,  working  night  and  day,  often  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  the  millionaire,  gradually  forced  the 
work  ahead;  and  when,  on  the  appointed  day,  the 
great  grain-ships  began  to  arrive,  the  opposition  real- 
ized failure.  The  vessels  began  to  pour  the  contents 
of  their  immense  holds  into  these  granaries,  and  the 
fight  was  over. 

The  foresight  that  sent  him  to  New  York  in  1864 
to  sell  pork  brought  him  back  from  Europe  in  1893, 
months  before  the  impending  panic  was  dreamed  of 
by  other  merchants.  It  is  told  of  him  that  he  called 
all  his  head  men  to  New  York,  and  announced  to 
them: 

"Gentlemen,  there's  going  to  be  financial  trouble 
soon." 

FOREARMED  AGAINST  PANIC. 

"Why,  Mr.  Armour,"  they  said,  "you  must  be  mis- 
taken. Things  were  never  better.  You  have  been 
ill,  and  are  suddenly  apprehensive." 

"Oh,  no,"  he  said,  "I'm  not.  There  is  going  to  be 
trouble;"  and  he  gave  as  his  reasons  certain  condi- 
tions which  existed  in  nearly  all  countries,  which 
none  of  those  present  had  thought  of.  "Now,"  said 
he  to  the  first  of  his  many  lieutenants,  "how  much 
will  you  need  to  run  your  department  until  next 
year?" 

The  head  man  named  his  need.    The  others  were 

525 


Philip  D.  Armour 

asked,  each  in  turn,  the  same  question,  and,  when  all 
were  through,  he  counted  up,  and,  turning  to  the 
company,  said: 

"Gentlemen,  go  back  and  borrow  all  you  need  in 
Chicago  on  my  credit.  Use  my  name  for  all  it  will 
bring  in  the  way  of  loans." 

The  lieutenants  returned,  and  the  name  of  Armour 
was  strained  to  its  utmost  limit.  When  all  had  been 
borrowed,  the  financial  flurry  suddenly  loomed  up, 
but  it  did  not  worry  the  great  packer.  In  his  vaults 
were  $8,000,000  in  gold.  All  who  had  loaned  him  at 
interest  then  hurried  to  his  doors,  fearing  that  he 
also  was  imperiled.  They  found  him  supplied  with 
ready  money,  and  able  to  compel  them  to  wait  until 
the  stipulated  time  of  payment,  or  to  force  them  to 
abandon  their  claims  of  interest  for  their  money,  and 
so  tide  him  over  the  unhappy  period.  It  was  a  mas- 
ter stroke,  and  made  the  name  of  the  great  packer  a 
power  in  the  world  of  finance, 

SOME  SECRETS  OF  SUCCESS. 

"Do  you  consider  your  financial  decisions  which 
you  make  quickly  to  be  brilliant  intuitions?"  I  asked. 

"I  never  did  anything  worth  doing  by  accident,  nor 
did  anything  I  have  come  that  way.  No,  I  never  de- 
cide anything  without  knowing  the  conditions  of  the 
market,  and  never  begin  unless  satisfied  concerning 
the  conclusion." 

J* 


Manufacturer  and  Philanthropist 

"Not  everyone  could  do  that,"  I  said. 

"I  cannot  do  everything.  Every  man  can  do  some- 
thing, and  there  is  plenty  to  do." 

"You  really  believe  the  latter  statement?" 

"There  was  never  more.  The  problems  to  be 
solved  are  greater  now  than  ever  before.  Never  was 
there  more  need  of  able  men.  I  am  looking  for  trained 
men  all  the  time.  More  money  is  being  offered  for 
them  everywhere  than  formerly." 

"Do  you  consider  that  happiness  consists  in  labor 
alone?" 

"It  consists  in  doing  something  for  others.  If  you 
give  the  world  better  material,  better  measure,  better 
opportunities  for  living  respectably,  there  is  happi- 
ness in  that.  You  cannot  give  the  world  anything 
without  labor,  and  there  is  no  satisfaction  in  anything 
but  labor  that  looks  toward  doing  this,  and  does  it." 


527 


LV 

The  Blind  Yacht  Designer  Attributes 
His  Conquests  to  His  Mother's 
Early  Cares. 

Thus  with  the  year 

Seasons  return;  but  not  to  me  returns 
Day,  or  the  sweet  approach  of  even  or  morn, 
Or  sight  of  vernal  bloom,  or  summer's  rose, 
Or  flocks,  or  herds,  or  human  face  divine; 
But  cloud  instead,  and  ever-during  dark, 
Surround  me!        *        *        *        * 
So  much  the  rather  thou,  celestial  Light ! 
Shine  inward,  and  the  mind,  through  all  her  powers, 
Irradiate ;  there  plant  eyes ;  all  mist  from  thence 
Purge  and  disperse;  that  I  may  see  and  tell 
Of  things  invisible  to  mortal  sight.  — MILTON. 

(  4  O  HIPSHApE  and  Bristol  fashion,"  a  hundred 

^^     years  ago,  more  or  less,  was  a  phrase  often 

**~*      heard  on  every  sea  plowed  by  American  or 

English  keels.    Sailors  everywhere  applied 

it  only  to  vessels  in  perfect  condition,  with  bright  paint, 

clean  bottoms,  spars  well  scraped,  rigging  taut,  spare 

ropes  neatly  coiled,  sails  without  mildew  and  of  perfect 

set,  pumps  free,  and  all  the  thousand-and-one  details 

that  tell  of  ideal  seamanship  properly   attended   to. 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

Those  four  words  paid  the  highest  tribute  of  the  craft 
to  the  skill  of  the  hardy  mariners  sailing  from  the 
tidy  little  port  near  the  head  of  Narragansett  Bay. 

Bristol's  long  streets,  bordered  from  end  to  end  with 
wide-spreading,  aged  trees,  and  lined  with  great  dwell- 
ings of  the  colonial  era,  savor  of  a  delightful  antiquity 
which  has  not  had  time  to  grow  musty,  but  has  been 
well  cared  for  by  successive  generations  and  has  a 
sufficiently  close  relation  to  modern  life  to  kindle 
a  real  affection  in  us  of  recent  growth,  not  unlike  that 
felt  by  the  toddling  urchin  for  his  white-haired  and 
gold-spectacled  grandmother.  These  big,  old  houses 
suggest  comfortable  bank  accounts,  stored  up  by  an- 
cestors who  built  ships  or  who  sailed  away  in  them 
to  the  Indies — East  or  West — and  returned  with  rich 
freights  that  profited  much. 

They  built  well,  those  ancestors,  and  their  handsome 
dwellings  seem  as  sound  to-day  as  the  everlasting  hill 
which  is  known  in  history  as  Mount  Hope.  What 
eight-foot  clocks  and  brass-handled  bureaus,  and  bulky, 
shining  chests,  capable  of  hiding  away  mountains  of 
housewifely  linen ;  what  high-backed  chairs  with  fan- 
tastically carved  legs ;  what  large  four-posters ;  what 
cavernous  fireplaces;  what  wainscotings  and  curling 
balustrades  ;  what  mantel  shelves  with  under  ornaments 
of  sturdy  filigree ;  what  yawning  closets,  as  big  as  bed- 
rooms of  this  year  of  grace ;  what  sets  of  unimpeach- 
able china,  brought  home  by  those  same  nautical  ances- 
tors; what  attic  stores  of  spinning-wheels  and  old 

529 


John  B.  Herreshoff 

books,  and  revolutionary  papers,  breathing  vengeance 
against  his  majesty,  King  George;  what  thousand  and 
one  treasures  of  the  keepsake  order  do  not  these  old 
mansions  possess  within  their  generously  proportioned 
walls,  to  say  nothing  of  quaint  porches  and  curious 
doors  and  pseudo-classical  piazza,  pillars  outside  of 
them !  That  Bristol  of  the  old,  prosperous,  gable-ended, 
ship-building,  ship-sailing,  cargo-discharging  and 
cargo-embarking  days  has  gone ;  but  this  Bristol  lives 
on  the  memories  and  the  proceeds  of  those  happier, 
wooden-walled,  shiver-my-timbers  times,  draws  on  her 
bank  accounts,  and  takes  it  easy. 

Amid  scenes  like  these,  one  expects  to  find  men  and 
women  of  culture  and  general  ability,  but  does  not 
look  for  world-renowned  specialists.  No  one  is  sur^ 
prised  at  a  display  of  enterprise  in  a  "booming"  west- 
ern town,  where  everybody  is  "hustling";  but  in  a 
place  which  has  once  ranked  as  the  third  seaport  in 
America,  but  has  seen  its  maritime  glory  decline,  a 
man  who  can  establish  a  marine  industry  on  a  higher 
plane  than  was  ever  before  known,  and  attract  to  his 
work  such  world-wide  attention  as  to  restore  the  van- 
ished fame  of  his  town,  is  no  ordinary  person.  More- 
over, if  such  a  man  has  laid  his  plans  and  done  his 
work  in  the  disheartening  eclipse  of  total  blindness,  he 
must  possess  some  qualities  of  the  highest  order,  what- 
ever faults  he  may  have,  and  is  thus  eminently  fitted 
to  instruct  the  rising  generation. 

Pursuant  to  this  idea,  I  called  at  the  office  of  the 

53° 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Company,  at  Bristol.  The 
building,  formerly  belonging  to  the  Burnside  Rifle 
Company,  is  substantial,  but  unpretentious,  and  is 
entered  by  a  short  stairway  on  one  side.  The  furniture 
throughout  is  also  plain,  but  has  been  selected  with 
excellent  taste,  and  is  suggestive  of  the  most  effective 
adaptation  of  means  to  ends  in  every  detail.  On  the 
mantel  and  on  the  walls  are  numerous  pictures,  most  of 
them  of  vessels,  but  very  few  relating  directly  to  any 
of  the  great  races  for  the  "America's"  cup.  The  first 
picture  to  arrest  one's  attention,  indeed,  is  an  excellent 
portrait  of  the  late  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside,  who 
lived  in  Bristol,  and  was  an  intimate  friend  of  John  B. 
Herreshoff. 

Previous  inquiry  had  elicited  the  information  that 
the  members  of  the  firm  were  very  busy  with  various 
large  orders,  in  addition  to  the  rush  of  work  on  the 
"Columbia"  and  the  "Defender";  so  it  was  a  very 
agreeable  surprise  when  I  was  invited  into  the  tasteful 
private  office,  where  the  blind  president  sat,  having  just 
concluded  a  short  conversation  with  an  attorney. 

"Well,  sir,"  said  he,  rising  and  grasping  my  hand 
cordially,  "what  do  you  wish  ?" 

"I  realize  how  very  busy  you  must  be,  Mr.  Herre- 
shoff," I  replied,  "and  will  try  to  be  as  brief  as  possi- 
ble ;  but  I  venture  to  ask  a  few  minutes  of  your  valu- 
able time,  with  a  view  to  obtaining  suggestions  and 
advice  from  you  to  young  men  and  women  at  the 
threshold  of  their  careers." 


John  B.  Herreshoff 

"But  why  select  me,  in  particular,  as  an  adviser?" 
This  was  "a  poser,"  at  first,   especially  when  he 
added,  noting  my  hesitation : 

LET  THE  WORK  SHOW. 

"We  are  very  frequently  requested  to  give  inter- 
views in  regard  to  our  manufacturing  business;  but, 
as  it  is  the  settled  policy  of  our  house  to  simply  do  our 
work  just  as  well  as  we  possibly  can,  and  then  leave 
it  to  speak  for  itself,  we  have  felt  obliged  to  decline  all 
these  requests.  We  have  a  very  pleasant  feeling  to- 
ward the  papers  and  their  representatives,  for  they 
have  treated  us  very  kindly;  but  it  would  be  repug- 
nant to  our  sense  of  propriety  to  talk  in  public  about 
our  special  industry.  'Let  the  work  show!'  seems  to 
us  a  good  motto." 

"True,"  said  I.  "But  the  majority  of  my  readers 
may  not  care  to  hear  of  cutters  or  "skimming  dishes," 
center-boards  or  fin  keels,  or  copper  coils  versus  steel 
tubes  for  boilers.  They  are  willing  to  leave  the  choice 
in  such  matters  to  you,  realizing  that  you  have  always 
proved  equal  to  the  situation.  What  I  want  now  is 
advice  in  regard  to  the  great  international  human  race 
— the  race  of  life — the  voyage  in  which  each  must  be 
his  own  captain,  but  in  which  the  words  of  others  who 
have  successfully  sailed  the  sea  before  will  help  to 
avoid  rocks  and  shoals,  and  to  profit  by  favoring  cur- 
rents and  trade  winds.  You  have  been  handicapped  in 
an  unusual  degree,  sailing  in  total  darkness  and  beset 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

by  many  other  difficulties,  but  have,  nevertheless,  made 
a  very  prosperous  voyage.  In  overcoming  such  serious 
obstacles  you  must  have  learned  much  of  the  true 
philosophy  of  both  success  and  failure,  and  I  think  you 
will  be  willing,  like  so  many  other  eminent  men  and 
women,  to  help  the  young  with  suggestions  drawn 
from  your  experience." 

"I  always  want  to  help  young  people,  or  old  people, 
either,  for  that  matter,  if  anything  I  can  say  will  do  so. 
But  what  can  I  say  ?" 

"What  do  you  call  the  prime  requisite  of  success  ?" 

"I  shall  have  to  answer  that  by  a  somewhat  humor- 
ous but  very  shrewd  suggestion  of  another — select  a 
good  mother.  Especially  for  boys,  I  consider  an  in- 
telligent, affectionate  but  considerate  mother  an  almost 
indispensable  requisite  to  the  highest  success.  If  you 
would  improve  the  rising  generation  to  the  utmost, 
appeal  first  to  the  mothers." 

"In  what  way?" 

"Above  all  things  else,  show  them  that  reasonable 
self-denial  is  a  thousandfold  better  for  a  boy  than  to 
have  his  every  wish  gratified.  Teach  them  to  encour- 
age industry,  economy,  concentration  of  attention  and 
purpose,  and  indomitable  persistence." 

"But  most  mothers  try  to  do  this,  don't  they  ?" 

A  MOTHER'S  MIGHTY  INFLUENCE. 

"Yes,  in  a  measure;  but  many  of  them,  perhaps 
most  of  them,  do  not  emphasize  the  matter  half  enough. 

533 


John  B.  Herreshoff 

A  mother  may  wish  to  teach  all  these  lessons  to  her 
son,  but  she  thinks  too  much  of  him,  or  believes  she 
does,  to  have  him  suffer  any  deprivation,  and  so  in- 
dulges him  in  things  which  are  luxuries  for  him, 
under  the  circumstances,  rather  than  necessaries. 
Many  a  boy,  born  with  ordinary  intellect,  would  fol- 
low the  example  of  an  industrious  father  were  it  not 
that  the  mother  wishes  him  to  appear  as  well  as  any 
boy  in  the  neighborhood.  So,  without  exactly  mean- 
ing it,  she  gets  to  making  a  show  of  her  boy,  and  brings 
him  up  with  a  habit  of  idling  away  valuable  time,  to 
keep  up  appearances.  The  prudent  mother,  however, 
sees  the  folly  of  this  course,  and  teaches  her  son  to 
excel  in  study  and  work  rather  than  in  vain  display. 
The  difference  in  mothers  makes  all  the  difference  in 
the  world  to  children.  Like  brooks,  they  can  be  turned 
very  easily  in  their  course  of  life." 

"What  ranks  next  in  importance  ?" 

"Boys  and  girls  themselves,  especially  as  they  grow 
older,  and  have  a  chance  to  understand  what  life 
means,  should  not  only  help  their  parents  as  a  matter 
of  duty,  but  should  learn  to  help  themselves,  for  their 
own  good.  I  would  not  have  them  forego  recreation, 
a  reasonable  amount  every  day,  but  let  them  learn  the 
reality  and  earnestness  of  existence,  and  resolve  to  do 
the  whole  work  and  the  very  best  work  of  thorough, 
reliable  young  men  and  women." 

"What  would  you  advise  as  to  choosing  a  career  ?" 

"In  that  I  should  be  governed  largely  by  the  bent 

534 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

of  each  youth.  What  he  likes  to  do  best  of  all,  that  he 
should  do  and  try  to  do  it  better  than  anyone  else. 
That  is  legitimate  emulation.  Let  him  devote  his  full 
energy  to  his  work;  with  the  provision,  however,  that 
he  needs  change  or  recreation  more  in  proportion  as 
he  uses  his  brain  more.  The  more  muscular  the  work, 
if  not  too  heavy,  the  more  hours,  is  a  good  rule ;  the 
more  brain  work,  the  fewer  hours.  Children  at  school 
should  not  be  expected  to  work  so  long  or  so  hard  as 
if  engaged  in  manual  labor.  Temperament,  too,  should 
be  considered.  A  highly  organized,  nervous  person, 
like  a  racehorse,  may  display  intense  activity  for  a  short 
time,  but  it  should  be  followed  by  a  long  period  of  rest ; 
while  the  phlegmatic  person,  like  the  ox  or  the  draft 
horse,  can  go  all  day  without  injury." 

"Would  you  advise  a  college  course  ?" 

"I  believe  in  education  most  thoroughly,  and  think 
no  one  can  have  too  much  knowledge,  if  properly  di- 
gested. But  in  many  of  our  colleges,  I  have  often 
thought,  not  more  than  one  in  five  is  radically  im- 
proved by  the  course.  Most  collegiates  waste  too 
much  time  in  frivolity,  and  somehow  there  seems  to  be 
little  restraining  power  in  the  college  to  prevent  this. 
I  agree  that  students  should  have  self-restraint  and 
application  themselves,  but,  in  the  absence  of  these, 
the  college  should  supply  more  compulsion  than  is  now 
the  rule." 

"Do  you  favor  reviving  the  old  apprentice  system  for 
would-be  mechanics  ?" 

535 


Joiin  B.  Herreshoff 

"Only  in  rare  cases.  As  a  rule,  we  have  special 
machines  now  that  do  as  perfect  work  as  the  market 
requires;  some  of  them,  indeed,  better  work  than  can 
be  done  by  hand.  A  boy  or  man  can  soon  learn  to  tend 
one  of  these,  when  he  becomes,  for  ordinary  purposes, 
a  specialist.  Very  few  shops  now  have  apprentices. 
No  rule,  however,  will  apply  to  all,  and  it  may  still  be 
best  for  one  to  serve  an  apprenticeship  in  a  trade  in 
which  he  wishes  to  advance  beyond  any  predecessor  or 
competitor." 

"Is  success  dependent  more  upon  ability  or  oppor- 
tunity?" 

PREPARE  TO  THE  UTMOST:  THEN  DO  YOUR  BEST. 

"Of  course,  opportunity  is  necessary.  You  couldn't 
run  a  mammoth  department  store  on  the  desert  of 
Sahara.  But,  given  the  possibility,  the  right  man  can 
make  his  opportunity,  and  should  do  so,  if  it  is  not  at 
hand,  or  does  not  come,  after  reasonable  waiting.  Even 
Napoleon  had  to  wait  for  his.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
there  is  no  ability,  none  can  display  itself,  and  the  best 
opportunity  must  pass  by  unimproved.  The  true  way 
is  to  first  develop  your  ability  to  the  last  ounce,  and 
then  you  will  be  ready  for  your  opportunity,  when  it 
comes,  or  to  make  one,  if  none  offers." 

"Is  the  chance  for  a  youth  as  good  as  it  was  twenty- 
five  or  fifty  years  ago  ?" 

"Yes,  and  no!   In  any  country,  as  it  becomes  more 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

thickly  populated,  the  chance  for  purely  individual 
enterprises  is  almost  sure  to  diminish.  One  notices  this 
more  as  he  travels  through  other  and  older  countries, 
where,  far  more  than  with  us,  boys  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  their  fathers,  generation  after  generation. 
But  for  those  who  are  willing  to  adapt  themselves  to 
circumstances,  the  chance  to-day,  at  least  from  a 
pecuniary  standpoint,  is  better  than  ever  before  for 
those  starting  in  life.  There  was  doubtless  more 
chance  for  the  individual  boat-builder  in  the  days  of 
King  Philip,  when  each  Indian  made  his  own  canoe, 
but  there  is  certainly  more  profit  now  for  an  employee 
of  our  firm  of  boat-builders." 

"Granted,  however,  that  he  can  find  employment, 
how  do  his  chances  of  rising  compare  with  those  of 
your  youth  ?" 

THE  MAN  IS  THE  IMPORTANT  FACTOR. 

"They  still  depend  largely  upon  the  individual. 
Some  seem  to  have  natural  executive  ability,  and  others 
develop  it,  while  most  men  never  possess  it.  Those 
who  lack  it  cannot  hope  to  rise  far,  and  never  could. 
Jefferson's  idea  that  all  men  are  created  equal  is  true 
enough,  perhaps,  so  far  as  their  political  rights  are 
concerned,  but  from  the  point  of  view  of  efficiency  in 
business  it  is  ridiculous.  In  any  shop  of  one  hundred 
men  you  will  find  one  who  is  acknowledged,  at  least 
tacitly,  as  the  leader,  and  he,  sooner  or  later,  becomes 

537 


John  B.  Herreshoff 

so  in  fact.    A  rich  boy  may  get  and  hold  a  place  in  an 
office  on  account  of  his  wealth  or  influence ;  but  in  the 
works  merit  alone  will  enable  a  man  to  hold  a  place 
long." 
"But  what  is  his  chance  of  becoming  a  proprietor?" 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  ABILITY. 

"That  is  smaller,  of  course,  as  establishments  grow 
larger  and  more  valuable.  It  is  all  bosh  for  every  man 
to  expect  to  become  a  Vanderbilt  or  a  Rockefeller,  or 
to  be  President.  But,  in  the  long  run,  a  man  will  still 
rise  and  prosper  in  almost  exact  proportion  to  his  real 
value  to  the  business  world.  He  will  rise  or  fall  ac- 
cording to  his  ability." 

"Can  he  develop  ability  ?" 

"Yes,  to  a  certain  extent.  As  I  have  said,  we  are 
not  all  alike,  and  no  amount  of  cultivation  will  make 
some  minds  equal  to  those  of  others  who  have  had  but 
little  training.  But,  whether  great  or  small,  everyone 
has  some  weak  point;  let  him  first  study  to  overcome 
that." 

"How  can  he  do  it?" 

"The  only  way  I  know  of  is  to — do  it.  But  this 
brings  me  back  to  what  I  told  you  at  first.  A  good 
mother  will  show  one  how  to  guard  against  his  weak 
points.  She  should  study  each  child  and  develop  his 
individual  character,  for  character  is  the  true  founda- 
tion, after  all.  She  should  check  extravagance  and 

538 


The  Blind  Yacht  Designer 

encourage  industry  and  self-respect.  My  mother  is 
one  of  the  best,  and  I  feel  that  I  owe  her  a  debt  I 
can  never  repay.  If  I  have  one  thing  more  than 
another  to  be  thankful  for,  it  is  her  care  in  childhood 
and  her  advice  and  sympathy  through  life.  How  often 
have  I  thought  of  her  wisdom  when  I  have  seen 
mothers  from  Europe,  where  they  were  satisfied  to  be 
peasants,  seek  to  outshine  all  their  neighbors  after  they 
have  been  in  America  a  few  years,  and  so  bring  finan- 
cial ruin  to  their  husbands  or  even  goad  them  into 
crime,  and  curse  their  children  with  contempt  for  hon- 
est labor  in  positions  for  which  they  are  fitted,  and  a 
foolish  desire  to  keep  up  appearances,  even  by  living 
beyond  their  means  and  by  seeking  positions  they  can- 
not fill  properly." 

"You  must  have  been  quite  young  when  you  began 
to  build  boats?" 

HE  WOULD  NOT  BE  DISCOURAGED. 

"About  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  old.  You  see,  my 
father  was  an  amateur  boat-builder,  in  a  small  way, 
and  did  very  good  work,  but  usually  not  for  sale.  But 
I  began  the  work  as  a  business  thirty-six  years  ago, 
when  I  was  about  twenty-two." 

"You  must  have  been  terribly  handicapped  by  your 
blindness  ?" 

"It  was  an  obstacle,  but  I  simply  would  not  allow  it 
to  discourage  me,  and  did  my  best,  just  the  same  as  if 

539 


John  B.  Herreshoff 

I  could  see.  My  mother  had  taught  me  to  think,  and 
so  I  made  thought  and  memory  take  the  place  of 
eyes.  I  acquired  a  kind  of  habit  of  mental  projection 
which  has  enabled  me  to  see  models  in  my  mind,  as  it 
were,  and  to  consider  their  good  and  bad  points  intelli- 
gently. Besides,  I  cultivated  my  powers  of  observation 
to  the  utmost  in  other  respects.  Even  now  I  take  an 
occasional  trip  of  observation,  for  I  like  to  see  what 
others  are  doing,  and  so  keep  abreast  of  the  progress  of 
the  age.  But  I  must  stop,  or  I  shall  get  to  'talking 
shop/  the  thing  I  declined  to  do  at  first.  The  main 
thing  for  a  boy  is  to  have  a  good  mother,  to  heed  her 
advice,  to  do  his  best,  and  not  get  a  'swelled  head'  as  he 
rises — in  other  words,  not  to  expect  to  put  a  gallon 
into  a  pint  cup  or  a  bushel  into  a  peck  measure.  Con- 
centration, decision,  industry  and  economy  should  be 
his  watchwords,  and  invincible  determination  and  per- 
sistence his  rule  of  action." 


540 


LVI 

A  Great  Vocalist  Shows  that  Only 
Years  of  Labor  Can  Win  the 
Heights  of  Song. 

OF  the  five  internationally  famous  singers — 
Melba,  Calve,  Nordica,  Eames  and  Leh- 
mann — none  is  a  greater  favorite  than 
Madame  Lillian  Nordica.  She  has  had  hon- 
ors heaped  upon  her  in  every  music-loving  country, 
including  her  own,  America.  Milan,  St.  Petersburg, 
Paris,  London,  and  New  York  in  turn  accepted  her, 
and  the  music-lovers  of  those  cities  received  her  with 
a  furore  of  praise.  Jewel  cases  filled  with  bracelets, 
necklaces,  tiaras  and  diadems  of  gold  and  precious 
stones,  attest  the  unaffected  sincerity  of  her  admir- 
ers in  all  the  great  music-centers  of  the  world.  She 
enjoys,  in  addition,  the  distinction  of  being  one  of 
the  first  two  American  women  to  attain  to  inter- 
national fame  as  a  singer  in  grand  opera.  When 
Madame  Nordica  was  in  New  York  fulfilling  her  part 
in  the  most  brilliant  operatic  season  the  city  had  ever 
known,  she  lived  in  sumptuous  style  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel,  where  I  met  her  by  appointment.  She 

541 


Lillian  Nordica 

accepted  the  statement  that  the  public  is  interested  in 
the  details  of  her  career  as  most  natural,  and  was 
pleased  to  discuss  the  philosophy  of  a  singer's  success 
from  the  view-point  of  its  difficulties. 

"You  would  like  to  know  how  distinction  in  the 
field  of  art  is  earned?  Well,  it  is  not  thrust  upon 
anyone.  The  material  for  a  great  voice  may  be  born 
in  a  person — it  is,  in  fact — but  the  making  of  it  into 
a  great  voice  is  a  work  of  the  most  laborious  charac- 
ter." 

"Is  the  matter  of  nationality  of  any  advantage  to  an 
aspirant?" 

"You  wish  to  know " 

"Whether,  in  some  countries,  the  atmosphere  is  not 
very  favorable  to  a  beginner; — the  feeling  of  the  pub- 
lic and  the  general  support  given  to  music  not  par- 
ticularly conducive  to  the  musical  development  of,  we 
will  say,  a  young  girl  with  a  promising  voice." 

"Yes.  I  should  judge  almost  any  of  the  greater 
European  nations  would  be  better  in  this  respect  than 
the  United  States;  not  much  better,  however,  because 
nearly  all  depends  on  strength  of  character,  deter- 
mination, and  the  will  to  work.  If  a  girl  has  these, 
she  will  rise  as  high,  in  the  end,  anywhere;  perhaps 
not  so  quickly  in  some  places,  but  no  less  surely." 

"You  had  no  European  advantages?" 

"None  whatever." 

"Were  you  born  in  the  West?" 

"No.  I  come  of  New  England  stock.  You  will  un- 

542 


American  Prima  Donna 

derstand  that  more  readily  when  I  tell  you  that  my 
real  name  is  Norton.  I  was  born  at  Farmington, 
Maine,  and  was  reared  in  Boston." 
"Were  your  parents  musically  talented?" 
"Not  at  all.  Their  opinion  of  music  was  that  it  is 
an  airy,  inviting  art  of  the  devil,  used  to  tempt  men's 
feet  to  stray  from  the  solemn  path  of  right.  They  be- 
lieved music,  as  a  vocation,  to  be  nearly  as  repre- 
hensible as  a  stage  career,  and  for  the  latter  they  had 
no  tolerance  whatever.  I  must  be  just,  though,  and 
own  that  they  did  make  an  exception  in  the  case  of 
church  music,  else  I  should  never  have  received  the 
slightest  encouragement  in  my  aspirations.  They 
considered  music  in  churches  to  be  permissible — even 
laudable.  So,  when  I  displayed  some  ability  as  a 
singer,  I  was  allowed  to  use  it  in  behalf  of  religion, 
and  I  did.  I  joined  the  church  choir  and  sang  hymns 
about  the  house  almost  constantly." 
"You  had  a  natural  bent  for  singing." 
"Yes,  but  I  needed  a  world  of  training.  I  had  no 
conception  of  what  work  lies  ahead  of  anyone  who 
contemplates  singing  perfectly.  All  I  knew  was  that 
I  could  sing,  and  that  I  would  win  my  way  with  my 
voice  if  I  could." 

"How  did  you  accomplish  it?" 

THERE  MUST  BE  NO  PLAY,  ONLY  STUDY  AND  PRACTICE. 

"By  devoting  all  my  time,  all  my  thought,  and  all 
my  energy  to  that  one  object.     I  devoured  church 

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Lillian  Nordica 

music — all  I  could  get  hold  of.  I  practiced  new  and 
difficult  compositions  all  the  time  I  could  spare." 

"Naturally,  your  efforts  attracted  attention?" 

"Yes,  I  became  a  very  good  church  singer;  so  much 
so  that,  when  there  were  church  concerts  or  im- 
portant religious  ceremonies,  I  was  always  in  demand. 
Then  there  began  to  be  a  social  demand  for  my  abil- 
ity, and,  later,  a  public  demand  in  the  way  of  con- 
certs." 

"At  Farmington?" 

"Oh,  no.  At  Boston.  I  forgot  to  say  that  my  par- 
ents removed,  while  I  was  still  quite  young,  to  Bos- 
ton." 

"Did  you  give  much  of  your  time  to  public  con- 
certs?" 

"None  at  all.  I  ignored  all  but  church  singing.  My 
ambition  ran  higher  than  concert  singing,  and  I  knew 
my  parents  would  not  consent.  I  persuaded  them  to 
let  me  have  my  voice  trained.  This  was  not  very 
difficult,  because  my  church  singing,  as  it  had  im- 
proved, became  a  source  of  considerable  profit,  and 
they  saw  even  greater  results  for  me  in  the  large 
churches  and  in  the  religious  field  generally.  So  I 
went  to  a  teacher  of  vocal  culture." 

"Where,  if  you  please?" 

"Professor  John  O'Neill,  one  of  the  instructors  in 
the  New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  Boston, 
was  a  fine  old  teacher,  a  man  with  the  highest  ideals 
concerning  music,  and  of  the  sternest  and  most  exact- 

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American  Prima  Donna 

ing  method.  He  made  me  feel,  at  first,  that  the  world 
was  mine  if  I  would  work.  Hard  work  was  his  con- 
stant cry.  There  must  be  no  play,  no  training  for 
lower  forms  of  public  entertainment,  no  anything 
but  study  and  practice.  I  must  work  and  perfect 
myself  in  private,  and  then  suddenly  appear  unher- 
alded in  the  highest  class  of  opera  and  take  the  world 
by  storm.  It  was  a  fine  fancy." 

"Did  you  manage  to  work  it  out  so?" 

"No.  It  wouldn't  have  been  possible.  O'Neill  was 
a  fine  musician.  In  his  mind  and  heart,  all  his  aspira- 
tion was  sincere,  but  it  was  not  to  be." 

"Were  you  ambitious  enough?" 

"Oh,  yes!  and  most  conscientious.  Under  him  I 
studied  the  physiology  of  the  voice,  and  practiced 
singing  oratorios.  I  also  took  up  Italian,  familiariz- 
ing myself  with  the  language,  with  all  the  songs  and 
endless  arias.  In  fact,  I  made  myself  as  perfect  in 
Italian  as  possible." 

"How  much  time  did  the  training  take?" 

"Three  years." 

"And  what  was  the  result?" 

"Well,  I  had  greatly  improved,  but  was  not  per- 
fect. Mr.  O'Neill  employed  methods  of  making  me 
work  which  discouraged  me.  He  was  a  man  who 
would  magnify  and  storm  over  your  slightest  error, 
and  make  light  of  or  ignore  your  sincerest  achieve- 
ments. If  anything,  he  put  his  grade  of  perfection  so 
high  that  I  began  to  consider  it  unattainable,  and  lost 

545 


Lillian  Nordica 

heart.  Finally,  I  gave  it  up  and  rested  awhile,  un- 
certain of  everything." 

"And  then?" 

"After  I  had  thought  awhile  and  regained  some 
confidence,  I  came  to  New  York  to  see  Mme.  Maret- 
zek.  She  was  not  only  a  teacher,  but  also  a  singer 
quite  famous  in  her  day  and  knew  the  world  of  music 
thoroughly.  She  considered  my  voice  to  be  of  the 
right  quality  for  the  highest  grade  of  operatic  suc- 
cess, and  gave  me  hope  that,  with  a  little  more  train- 
ing, I  could  begin  my  career.  She  not  only  did  that, 
but  also  set  me  to  studying  the  great  operas,  "Lucia" 
and  the  others,  and  introduced  me  to  the  American 
musical  celebrities.  Together  we  heard  whatever  was 
worth  hearing  in  New  York.  When  the  renowned 
Brignola  came  to  New  York  she  took  me  to  the 
Everett  House,  where  he  was  stopping,  and  intro- 
duced me.  They  were  good  friends,  and,  after  gain- 
ing his  opinion  of  my  voice,  we  went  to  hear  him 
sing  'Faust/ 

"That  was  a  wonderful  thing  for  me.  To  hear  the 
great  Brignola!  It  fired  my  ambition.  As  I  listened, 
I  felt  that  I  could  also  be  great,  and  that  people,  some 
day,  might  listen  to  me  as  enraptured  as  I  then  was  by 
him.  It  put  new  fire  into  me  and  caused  me  to  fairly 
toil  over  my  studies.  I  would  have  given  up  all  my 
hours  if  I  had  been  allowed  or  requested  to." 

"And  then  what?" 

"Well,  so  it  went  until,  after  several  years  of  study, 

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American  Prima  Donna 

Madame  Maretzek  thought  I  was  getting  pretty  well 
along  and  might  venture  some  important  public  sing- 
ing. We  talked  about  different  ways  of  appearing, 
and  what  I  would  sing  and  so  on,  until  finally  Gil- 
more's  band  came  to  Madison  Square  Garden.  He 
was  in  the  heyday  of  his  success  then,  both  popular 
and  famous,  and  carried  important  soloists  with  him. 
Madame  Maretzek  decided  that  she  would  take  me  to 
see  him  and  get  his  opinion;  and  so,  one  day,  toward 
the  very  last  of  his  Madison  Square  engagement,  we 
went  to  see  him.  Madame  Maretzek  was  on  good 
terms  with  him  also.  I  remember  that  she  took  me 
in  one  morning  when  he  was  rehearsing.  I  saw  a 
stout,  kindly,  genial  looking  man  who  was  engaged 
in  tapping  for  attention,  calling  certain  individuals 
to  notice  certain  points,  and  generally  fluttering 
around  over  a  dozen  odds  and  ends.  Madame  Ma- 
retzek talked  with  him  a  little  while  and  then  called 
his  attention  to  me.  He  looked  toward  me. 

"  Thinks  she  can  sing,  eh?  Yes,  yes.  Well,  all 
right!  Let  her  come  right  along.' 

"Then  he  called  to  me : 

"l  WAS  TRAVELING  ON  AIR." 

"  'Come  right  along,  now.  Step  right  up  here  on 
the  stage.  Yes,  yes.  Now,  what  can  you  sing?'- 

"I  told  him  I  could  sing  almost  anything  in  oratorio 
or  opera,  if  he  so  wished.  He  said:  'Well,  well,  have 
a  little  from  both.  Now,  what  shall  it  be?'' 

547 


Lillian  Nordica 

"I  shall  never  forget  his  kindly  way.  He  was  like 
a  good  father,  gentle  and  reassuring,  and  seemed 
really  pleased  to  have  me  there  and  hear  me.  I  went 
up  on  the  platform  and  told  him  that  I  would  begin 
with  'Let  the  Bright  Seraphim/  and  he  called  the 
orchestra  together  and  had  them  accompany  me." 

"You  must  have  been  slightly  nervous." 

"I  was  at  first,  but  I  recovered  my  equanimity  and 
sang  up  to  my  full  limit  of  power.  When  I  was 
through,  he  remarked,  'Very  good!  very  good!'  and 
then,  'Now,  what  else?'  I  next  sang  an  aria  from 
'Somnambula.'  He  did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  ap- 
proval, which  was  always,  'Very  good!  very  good! 
Now,  what  you  want  to  do,'  he  said,  'is  to  get  some 
roses  in  your  cheeks  and  come  along  and  sing  for 
me.'  After  that  he  continued  his  conference  with  Mad- 
ame Maretzek,  and  then  we  went  away  together. 

"I  was  traveling  on  air  when  I  left,  I  can  assure 
you.  His  company  was  famous.  Its  engagement 
had  been  most  successful.  Madame  Poppenheim  was 
singing  with  it,  and  there  were  other  famous  names. 
There  were  only  two  more  concerts,  concluding  his 
New  York  engagement,  but  he  had  told  Madame 
Maretzek  that  if  I  chose  to  come  and  sing  on  these 
occasions,  he  would  be  glad  to  have  me.  I  was  more 
than  glad  of  the  opportunity  and  agreed  to  go.  We 
arranged  with  him  by  letter,  and,  when  the  evening 
came,  I  sang. 

"My  work  made  a  distinct  impression  on  the  audi- 

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American  Prima  Donna 

ence  and  pleased  Mr.  Gilmore  wonderfully.  After  the 
second  night,  when  all  was  over,  he  came  to  me,  and 
said:  'Now,  my  dear,  of  course  there  is  no  more  con- 
cert this  summer,  but  I  am  going  West  in  the  fall. 
Now,  how  would  you  like  to  go  along?' 

"I  told  him  that  I  would  like  to  go  very  much,  if  it 
could  be  arranged;  and,  after  some  negotiation,  he 
agreed  to  pay  the  expenses  of  my  mother  and  my- 
self, and  give  me  one  hundred  dollars  a  week  besides. 
I  accepted,  and  when  the  Western  tour  began,  we 
went  along." 

"How  did  you  succeed  on  that  tour?" 

"Very  well  indeed.  I  gained  thorough  control  oi 
my  nerves  in  that  time  and  learned  something  of  au- 
diences and  of  what  constitutes  distinguished  'stage 
presence.'  I  studied  all  the  time,  and,  with  the  broad- 
ening influence  of  travel,  gained  a  great  deal.  At  the . 
end  of  the  tour  my  voice  was  more  under  my  control 
than  ever  before,  and  I  was  a  better  singer  all 
around." 

HER  FIRST  EUROPEAN  TOUR. 

"You  did  not  begin  with  grand  opera,  after  all?" 
"No,  I  did  not.  It  was  not  a  perfect  conclusion  of 
my  dreams,  but  it  was  a  great  deal.  My  old  instruc- 
tor, Mr.  O'Neill,  took  it  worse  than  I  did.  He  re- 
garded my  ambitions  as  having  all  come  to  naught.  I 
remember  that  he  wrote  me  a  letter  in  which  he  thus 
called  me  to  account : 

549 


Lillian  Nordica 

"After  all  my  training,  my  advice,  that  you  should  come  to 
this!  A  whole  lifetime  of  ambition  and  years  of  the  hardest 
study  consumed  to  fit  you  to  go  on  the  road  with  a  brass 
band !  Poh ! 

"I  pocketed  the  sarcasm  in  the  best  of  humor,  be- 
cause I  was  sure  of  my  dear  old  teacher's  unwavering 
faith  in  me,  and  knew  that  he  wrote  only  for  my  own 
good.  Still,  I  felt  that  I  was  doing  wisely  in  getting 
before  the  public,  and  so  decided  to  wait  quietly  and 
see  if  time  would  not  justify  me. 

"When  the  season  was  over  Mr.  Gilmore  came  to 
me  again.  He  was  the  most  kindly  man  I  ever  knew. 
His  manner  was  as  gentle  and  his  heart  as  good  as 
could  be. 

"  'I  am  going  to  Europe,'  he  said.  'I  am  going  to 
London  and  Paris  and  Vienna  and  Rome,  and  all  the 
other  big  cities.  There  will  be  a  fine  chance  for  you  to 
see  all  those  places  and  let  Europeans  hear  you.  They 
appreciate  good  singers.  Now,  little  girl,  do  you 
want  to  come?  If  you  do,  you  can.' 

"I  talked  it  over  with  my  mother  and  Madame 
Maretzek,  and  decided  to  go;  and  so,  the  next  season, 
we  were  in  Europe." 

"Did  it  profit  you  as  you  anticipated?" 

"Very  much.  We  gave  seventy-eight  concerts  in 
England  and  France.  We  opened  the  Trocadero  at 
Paris,  and  mine  was  the  first  voice  of  any  kind  to  sing 
there. 

"This  European  tour  of  the  American  band  really 

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American  Prima  Donna 

was  a  great  and  successful  venture.  American  musi- 
cians still  recall  the  furore  which  it  created  and  the 
prestige  which  it  gained  at  home.  Mr.  Gilmore  was 
proud  of  his  leading  soloists.  In  Paris,  where  the 
great  audiences  went  wild  over  my  singing,  he  came 
to  praise  me  personally  in  unmeasured  terms.  'My 
dear,'  he  said,  'you  are  going  to  be  a  great  singer. 
You  are  going  to  be  crowned  in  your  own  country 
yet.  Mark  my  words :  they  are  going  to  put  diamonds 
on  your  brow!' 

"At  the  end  of  that  tour  I  decided  to  spend  some 
of  my  earnings  on  further  study  in  Italy.  Accord- 
ingly, I  went  to  Milan,  to  the  singing  teacher  San 
Giovanni.  On  arriving  there,  I  visited  the  old  teacher 
and  stated  my  object.  I  said  that  I  wanted  to  sing  in 
grand  opera. 

"WHY  DON'T  YOU  SING  IN  GRAND  OPERA?" 

"  'All  right!'  he  answered;  'let  me  hear  your  voice.' 

"I  sang  an  aria  from  'Lucia';  and  when  I  was 
through,  he  said  dryly:  'You  want  to  sing  in  grand 
opera?' 

"  'Yes.' 

"  'Well,  why  don't  you?' 

"  'I  need  training.' 

"  'Nonsense!'  he  answered.  'We  will  attend  to  that. 
You  need  a  few  months  to  practice  Italian  methods — 
that  is  all.' 

"So  I  spent  three  months  with  him.    After  much 


Lillian  Nordica 

preparation,  I  made  my  debut  as  Violetta  in  Verdi's 
opera,  'La  Traviata,'  at  the  Teatro  Grande,  in  Bres- 
cia." 

The  details  of  Madame  Nordica's  Italian  appear- 
ance are  very  interesting.  Her  success  was  instanta- 
neous. Her  fame  went  up  and  down  the  land,  and 
across  the  water — to  her  home.  She  next  sang  in 
Gounod's  "Faust,"  at  Geneva,  and  soon  afterwards 
appeared  at  Navarro,  singing  Alice  in  Meyerbeer's 
"Roberto,"  the  enthusiastic  and  delighted  subscribers 
presenting  her  with  a  handsome  set  of  rubies  and 
pearls.  After  that  she  was  engaged  to  sing  at  the 
Russian  capital,  and  accordingly  went  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, where,  in  October,  1881,  she  made  her  debut  as 
La  Filma  in  "Mignon." 

There,  also,  her  success  was  great.  She  was  the 
favorite  of  the  society  of  the  court,  and  received 
pleasant  attentions  from  every  quarter.  Presents 
were  made  her,  and  inducements  for  her  continued 
presence  until  two  winters  had  passed.  Then  she  de- 
cided to  revisit  France  and  Paris. 

THIS  WAS   HER   CROWNING  TRIUMPH. 

"I  wanted  to  sing  in  grand  opera  at  Paris,"  she 
said  to  me.  "I  wanted  to  know  that  I  could  appear 
successfully  in  that  grand  place.  I  counted  my 
achievements  nothing  until  I  could  do  that." 

"And  did  you?" 

"Yes.  In  July,  1882, 1  appeared  there." 

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American  Prima  Donna 

This  was  her  greatest  triumph.  In  the  part  of 
Marguerite  she  took  the  house  by  storm,  and  won 
from  the  composer  the  highest  encomiums.  Subse- 
quently, she  appeared  with  equal  success  as  Ophelie, 
having  been  specially  prepared  for  both  these  roles 
by  the  respective  composers,  Charles  Gounod  and 
Ambroise  Thomas. 

"You  should  have  been  satisfied  after  that,"  I  said. 

"I  was,"  she  answered.  "So  thoroughly  was  I 
satisfied  that,  soon  afterwards,  I  gave  up  my  career 
and  was  married.  For  two  years  I  remained  away 
from  the  public,  but,  after  that  time,  my  husband 
having  died,  I  decided  to  return.  I  made  my  first 
appearance  at  the  Burton  Theater  in  London,  and 
was  doing  well  enough  when  Colonel  Mapleson  came 
to  me.  He  was  going  to  produce  grand  opera — in 
fact,  he  was  going  to  open  Covent  Garden,  which 
had  been  closed  for  a  long  time,  with  a  big  company. 
He  was  another  interesting  character.  I  found  him 
to  be  generous  and  kind-hearted  and  happy-spirited 
as  anyone  could  be.  When  he  came  to  me  it  was  in 
the  most  friendly  manner.  'I  am  going  to  open  Co- 
vent  Garden/  he  said.  'Now,  here  is  your  chance  to 
sing  there.  All  the  great  singers  have  appeared 
there — Patti,  Gerster,  Nilsson,  Tietjens — now  it's 
your  turn — come  and  sing.' 

"  'How  about  terms?'  I  asked. 

"  'Terms!'  he  exclaimed;  'terms!  Don't  let  such  lit- 
tle details  stand  in  your  way.  What  is  money  com- 

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Lillian  Nordica 

pared  to  this?  Ignore  money.  Think  of  the  honor,  of 
the  memories  of  the  place,  of  what  people  think  of  it;' 
and  then  he  waved  his  arms  dramatically. 

"Well,  we  came  to  terms,  not  wholly  sacrificial  on 
my  part,  and  the  season  began.  Covent  Garden  had 
not  been  open  for  a  long  time.  It  was  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  cold  and  damp.  There  was  a  crowded 
house,  though,  because  fashion  accompanied  the 
Prince  of  Wales  there.  He  came,  night  after  night, 
and  heard  the  opera  through  with  an  overcoat  on. 

"It  was  no  blessed  task  for  me,  or  healthy,  either, 
but  the  Lord  has  blessed  me  with  a  sound  constitu- 
tion. I  sang  my  parts,  as  they  should  be  sung,  some 
in  bare  arms  and  shoulders,  with  too  little  clothing 
for  such  a  temperature.  But  it  was  Covent  Garden, 
and  so  I  bore  up  under  it." 

"What  was  the  next  venture?" 

"Nothing  much  more  interesting.  The  summer  af- 
ter that  season  I  visited  Ems,  where  the  De  Reszkes 
were.  One  day  they  said:  'We  are  going  to  Bayreuth 
to  hear  the  music,  don't  you  want  to  go  along?' 

"I  thought  it  over,  and  decided  that  I  did.  My 
mother  and  I  packed  up  and  departed.  When  I  got 
there  and  saw  those  splendid  performances  I  was  en- 
tranced. It  was  perfectly  beautiful.  Everything  was 
arranged  after  an  ideal  fashion.  I  had  a  great  desire 
to  sing  there,  and  boasted  to  my  mother  that  I 
would.  When  I  came  away  I  was  fully  determined  to 
carry  out  that  boast." 

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American  Prima  Donna 

"Could  you  speak  German?" 

"Not  at  all.  I  began,  though,  at  once,  to  study  it; 
and  when  I  could  talk  it  sufficiently  I  went  to  Bay- 
reuth  and  saw  Madame  Wagner." 

THE  KINDNESS  OF  FRAU  WAGNER. 

"Did  you  find  her  the  imperious  old  lady  she  is  said 
to  be?" 

"Not  at  all.  She  welcomed  me  most  heartily;  and 
when  I  told  her  that  I  had  come  to  see  if  I  could  not 
sing  there  she  seemed  much  pleased.  She  treated  me 
like  a  daughter,  explained  all  that  she  was  trying  to  do, 
and  gave  me  a  world  of  encouragement.  Finally  I 
arranged  to  sing  and  create  'Elsa'  after  my  own  idea 
of  it  during  the  season  following  the  one  then  ap- 
proaching." 

"What  did  you  do  meanwhile?" 

"I  came  to  New  York  to  fulfil  my  contract  for  the 
season  of  1894-1895.  While  doing  that  I  made  a 
study  of  Wagner's,  and,  indeed,  of  all  German  music ; 
and  when  the  season  was  over  went  back  and  sang 
it." 

"To  Frau  Wagner's  satisfaction?" 

"Yes." 

"Have  you  found  your  work  very  exacting?" 

"Decidedly  so.  It  leaves  little  time  for  anything 
else." 

"To  do  what  you  have  done  requires  a  powerful 
physique,  to  begin  with?" 

555 


Lillian  Nordica 

"Yes,  I  should  judge  so." 

"Are  you  ever  put  under  extraordinary  mental 
strain  ?" 

"Occasionally." 

"In  what  manner?" 

"Why,  in  my  manner  of  study.  I  remember  once, 
during  my  season  under  Augustus  Harris,  of  an  in- 
cident of  this  order.  He  gave  a  garden  party  one 
Sunday  to  which  several  of  his  company  were  invited, 
myself  included.  When  the  afternoon  was  well  along 
he  came  to  me  and  said:  'Did  you  ever  sing  "Valen- 
cia" in  "The  Huguenots"  ?'  I  told  him  I  had  not. 

"  'Do  you  think  you  could  learn  the  music  and  sing 
it  by  next  Saturday  night?' 

"I  felt  a  little  appalled  at  the  question,  but  ventured 
to  say  that  I  could.  I  knew  that  hard  work  would 
do  it." 

"  'Then  do/  he  replied ;  'for  I  must  have  you  sing  it.' 

"Let  me  ask  you  one  thing,"  I  said.  "Has  America 
good  musical  material?" 

THE   MUSICAL  TALENT  OF  AMERICAN  GIRLS. 

"As  much  as  any  other  country,  and  more,  I  should 
think.  The  higher  average  of  intelligence  here  should 
yield  a  greater  percentage  of  musical  intelligence." 

"Then  there  ought  to  be  a  number  of  great  Ameri- 
can women  singers  in  the  future?" 

"There  ought  to  be,  but  it  is  a  question  whether 

556 


American  Prima  Donna 

there  will  be.  They  are  not  cut  out  for  the  work 
which  it  requires  to  develop  a  good  voice." 

"You  think  there  is  good  material  for  great  voices 
in  American  women,  but  not  sufficient  energy?" 

"That  is  my  fear,  not  my  belief.  I  have  noticed 
that  young  women  here  seem  to  underestimate  the 
cost  of  distinction.  It  means  more  than  most  of  them 
are  prepared  to  give;  and  when  they  face  the  exac- 
tions of  art  they  falter  and  drop  out.  Hence  we  have 
many  middle-class  singers,  but  few  really  powerful 
ones." 

"What  are  these  exactions  you  speak  of?" 

"Time,  money,  and  loss  of  friends,  of  pleasure.  To 
be  a  great  singer  means,  first,  to  be  a  great  student. 
To  be  a  great  student  means  that  you  have  no  time 
for  balls  and  parties,  very  little  for  friends,  and  less 
for  carriage  rides  and  pleasant  strolls.  All  that  is 
really  left  is  a  shortened  allowance  of  sleep,  of  time 
for  meals  and  time  for  exercise." 

"Did  you  ever  imagine  that  people  leaped  into  per- 
manent fame  when  still  young  and  without  much  ef- 
fort on  their  part?" 

"I  did.  But  I  discovered  that  real  fame — perma- 
nent recognition  which  cannot  be  taken  away  from 
you — is  acquired  only  by  a  lifetime  of  most  earnest 
labor.  People  are  never  internationally  recognized 
until  they  have  reached  middle  life.  Many  persons 
gain  notoriety  young,  but  that  goes  as  quickly  as  it 
comes.  All  true  success  is  founded  on  real  accom- 

557 


Lillian  Nordica 

plishment,  acquired  with  difficulty;  and  so,  when  you 
see  some  one  accounted  great,  you  will  usually  find 
him  to  be  in  the  prime  of  life  or  past  it." 

"You  grant  that  many  young  people  have  genius?" 
"Certainly  I  do.  Many  of  them  have  it.  They  will 
have  waited  long,  however,  before  it  has  been  trained 
into  valuable  service.  The  world  gives  very  little 
recognition  for  a  great  deal  of  labor  paid  in;  and 
when  I  earn  a  thousand  dollars  for  a  half  hour's  sing- 
ing sometimes  it  does  not  nearly  average  up  for  all 
the  years  and  for  the  labor  much  more  difficult,  which 
I  contributed  without  recompense." 


558 


BOOK  TWO 

MEN  AND  WOMEN 

WHO  HAVE  ACHIEVED  EMINENCE 


Success  Maxims 

If  I  were  a  cobbler,  it  would  be  my  pride 

The  best  of  all  cobblers  to  be; 
If  I  were  a  tinker,  no  tinker  beside 
Should  mend  an  old  kettle  like  me. 

— OLD  SONG. 

People  do  not  lack  strength;  they  lack  will. — VICTOR 
HUGO. 

Every  man  stamps  his  own  value  upon  himself;,  and  we  are 
great  or  little  according  to  our  own  will. — SAMUEL  SMILES. 

The  saddest  failures  in  life  are  those  that  come  from  not 
putting  forth  of  the  power  and  will  to  succeed. — WHIPPLE. 

As  men  in  a  crowd  instinctively  make  room  for  one  who 
would  force  his  way  through  it,  so  mankind  makes  way  for 
one  who  rushes  toward  an  object  beyond  them. — D WIGHT. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  captains  of  industry  to- 
day, using  that  term  in  its  broadest  sense,  are  men  who  began 
life  as  poor  boys. — SETH  Low. 

Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them,  all  day  long, 

And  so  make  life,  death  and  the  vast  forever  one  grand, 

sweet  song.  CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 

Dost  thou  love  life?  Then  do  not  squander  time,  for  that 
is  the  stuff  life  is  made  of. — FRANKLIN. 

The  high  prize  of  life,  the  crowning  fortune  of  a  man,  is 
to  be  born  with  a  bias  to  some  pursuit,  which  finds  him  in 
employment  and  happiness. — EMERSON. 

A  man  that  is  young  in  years  may  be  old  in  hours,  if  he 
have  lost  no  time. — BACON. 

The  one  prudence  in  life  is  concentration ;  the  one  evil  is  dis- 
sipation ;  and  it  makes  no  difference  whether  our  dissipations 
are  coarse  or  fine.  .  .  .  Everything  is  good  which  takes 
away  one  plaything  and  delusion  more,  and  sends  us  home  to 
add  one  stroke  of  faithful  work. — EMERSON. 


560 


STATESMEN 


Jas.  London 

CANADIANS 


CANADIANS 


Charles  H.  Cramp  John  B.  Herreschoff 


CAPTAINS   OF   INDUSTRY 


MANUFACTURERS 


TRANSPORTATION    LEADERS 


Geo.  Westinghouse 

(Copyright.  1902.  by  Gexford.  N.  Y.) 


INVENTORS 


Robt.  L  Ogden 

MERCHANTS 


J.  Pierpont  Morgan 

Copyright,  1902.  by  Pach.  Nci 


Cornelius  Vanderbilt  Hetty  Green  William  Waldorf  Astor 


FINANCIERS 


Hazen    S.   Pmgree          William  Jennings  Bryan 


POLITICAL   LEADERS 


Alton  Brooks  Parker      I          Melville  W.  Fuller  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 


LAWYERS   AND  JURISTS 


Richmond  P.  Hobson    ir         Joseph  Wheeler 


SOLDIERS   AND  SAILORS 


Walter  Wellman    M/vTl   Robert  Edwin  Peary    /jELl  Dr.  Frederick  A. Cook 


EXPLORERS 'AND   TRAVELLERS 


E.  Benjamin  Andrews//!   k\    William  T.Harris 


Arthur  T.  Hadley    m$8   H.  M.  MacCracken  5^£r 


Charles  Wm.  Eliot 


EDUCATORS 


\\  James  M.  Buckley    fh    \          Edward  Bok 


EDITORS 


Frank  A.  Munsey  Edwapd  E  Hjggins  F.  N.  Doubleday 


PUBLISHERS 


ORATORS 


MUSICIANS 


SINGERS 


ACTORS 


ACTRESSES 


ORGANIZERS  AND   LECTURERS 


ILLUSTRATORS,   DECORATORS  AND   SCULPTORS 


Homer  Davenport  Carl  E.  Schultze 


CARTOONISTS 


Elizabeth   M.  Gilmer 
"Dorothy  Dix" 


George  V.  Hobart 


JohnKondrickBannH   Marshall  P.  Wilder  R^  Fm'?Y  _Peter  Dunne 


HUMORISTS 


JOURNALISTS   AND   WRITERS 


POETS 


Rudyard  Kipling       ^L        F.Marion-Crawford      &     Wm.  Dean  Howells 


ne  Allen  Winston  Churchill 


AUTHORS 


Mrs.  E.  S.  P.  Ward         Anna  Katherine  Greene       Frances  H.  Burnett 


NOVELISTS 


C Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton 

{Copyriftt,  1902.  if 


William  R.George     if   Geo.Thorndike  Angell  Susan  B.  Anthony 


REFORMERS 


PHILANTHROPISTS 


IjlBishopK  C.  Potter  iff     Bishop  Wm.  Taylor      |f|  ^  {*¥ 


Russell    Conwell 


Lyman  Abbott 

Copyright.  1893.  by  Rockwood.  H.Y. 


Robert  Collyer 


DIVINES 


BOOK  THREE 

ENCYCLOPEDIC  BIOGRAPHIES, 
OR   THE   ROMANCE    OF  REALITY. 


Success  Maxims 

"Never  give  up:  for  the  wisest  is  boldest, 
Knowing  that  Providence  mingles  the  cup ; 
And  of  all  maxims,  the  best,  as  the  oldest, 
Is  the  stern  watchword  of  '  Never  give  up !' " 

— HOLMES. 

I  find  nothing  so  singular  in  life  as  this:  that  everything 
opposing  appears  to  lose  its  substance  the  moment  one  actually 
grapples  with  it. — HAWTHORNE. 

Perpetual  pushing  and  assurance  put  a  difficulty  out  of 
countenance,  and  make  a  seeming  impossibility .  give  way. — 
JEREMY  COLLIER. 

The  truest  wisdom  is  a  resolute  determination. — NAPO- 
LEON I. 

He  wants  wit,  that  wants  resolved  will. — SHAKESPEARE. 

When  a  firm  decisive  spirit  is  recognized,  it  is  curious  to 
see  how  the  space  clears  around  a  man  and  leaves  him  room 
and  freedom. — JOHN  FOSTER. 

Self-distrust  is  the  cause  of  most  of  our  failures.  In  the 
assurance  of  strength  there  is  strength,  and  they  are  the  weak- 
est, however  strong,  who  have  no  faith  in  themselves  or  their 
powers. — BOVEE. 

Self-reverence,  self-knowledge,  self-control — these  three 
alone  lead  life  to  sovereign  power. — TENNYSON. 

There  is  no  fate!  Between  the  thought  and  the  success, 
God  is  the  only  agent. — BULWER, 

Character  must  stand  behind  and  back  up  everything — the 
sermon,  the  poem,  the  picture,  the  play.  None  of  them  is  worth 
a  straw  without  it. — J.  G.  HOLLAND. 

I  hate  a  thing  done  by  halves.  If  it  be  right,  do  it  boldly ; 
if  it  be  wrong,  leave  it  undone. — GILPIN. 

Doing  well  depends  upon  doing  completely. — PERSIAN 
PROVERB. 

Things  don't  turn  up  in  this  world  until  somebody  turns 
them  up. — GARFIELD. 

We  live  in  a  new  and  exceptional  age.  America  is  another 
name  for  Opportunity.  Our  whole  history  appears  like  a  last 
effort  of  the  Divine  Providence  in  behalf  of  the  human  race. — 
EMERSON. 


6l6 


STATESMEN. 


WILLIAM  BOYD  ALLISON. 

William  Boyd  Allison  was  born  at 
Perry,  Ohio,  March  2,  1829.  His 
father,  John  Allison,  was  a  farmer, 
and  young  William  spent  his  boyhood 
in  work  on  the  farm  and  in  attending 
the  district  school.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  studied  at  the  Academy  at 
Wooster  and  subsequently  spent  a 
year  at  Allegheny  college  in  Mead- 
ville,  Pennsylvania.  After  that  he 
made  enough  money  by  teaching 
school  to  pay  for  his  admission  in  the 
Western  Reserve  college  in  Hudson, 
Ohio.  He  studied  law  in  Wooster, 
and  in  1851  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
Soon  after  he  became  deputy  county 
clerk.  His  political  tastes  were  made 
evident  early  in  life.  In  1856  he  was 
a  delegate  to  the  Republican  state 
convention  and  supported  Fremont 
for  president.  In  the  following  year 
he  moved  to  Ohio,  and  settled  in 
Dubuque,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  was  a  delegate  at  the  Chicago  Re- 
publican Convention  which  nominated 
Abraham  Lincoln  for  President.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war  he  was 
appointed  on  the  staff  of  the  Gover- 
nor of  Ohio.  In  1862  he  was  elected 
to  the  Thirty-eighth  congress  and 
was  re-elected  three  times  in  succes- 
sion. He  was  the  leading  member  of 
the  ways  and  means  committee  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war  and  was  of  great  use 
to  the  President  and  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  in  devising  plans  for 
raising  money.  He  was  elected  to 
the  United  States  senate  in  1872.  His 
previous  record  in  the  house  caused 
his  selection  as  chairman  of  the  sen- 
ate committee  on  appropriations.  Mr. 
Allison  has  always  taken  a  prominent 
part  in  tariff  questions  and  was  chief- 


ly instrumental  in  framing  the  senate 
tariff  bill  of  the  Fiftieth  congress. 
In  1881  he  was  offered  the  position 
of  secretary  of  the  Treasury  by  Pres- 
ident Garfield,  but  declined,  and,  in 
1888,  he  was  a  leading  candidate  for 
nomination  for  the  presidency.  After 
the  election  of  Mr.  Harrison  he  was 
again  offered  the  treasury  portfolio, 
which  he  again  declined.  Senator 
Allison  has  always  held  the  respect 
of  public  men,  and  has  never  used-Ws 
position  to  enrich  himself.  His  tastes 
are  refined,  he  is  an  agreeable  host, 
and  popular  in  both  public  and  private 
life. 

GROVER  CLEVELAND. 

Grover  Cleveland  was  born  at  Cald- 
well,  New  Jersey,  March  18,  1837. 
His  ancestors  came  from  England. 
His  father  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister and  he  was  named  after  the 
Rev.  Steven  Grover.  In  1841  the 
family  moved  to  Fayetteville,  New 
York,  where  the  future  president 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
Between  lessons  he  acted  as  clerk  in 
a  country  store.  He  received  further 
education  at  a  local  academy,  and 
was  later  appointed  assistant  teach- 
er in  the  New  York  Institution  for 
the  Blind.  In  1855,  while  helping  his 
uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allen,  at  Buffalo, 
compiling  "The  American  Word 
Book,"  he  began  to  read  law,  and,  in 
1859,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He 
was  appointed  assistant  district  attor- 
ney of  Erie  county  in  1863,  but  in 
1865  he  was  defeated  for  the  district 
attorneyship  of  the  same  county. 
Thereupon  he  became  a  member  of  a 
Buffalo  law  firm.  In  1871  he  was 
elected  sheriff  of  Erie  county.  At 


617 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


the  close  of  this  term  he  helped  to 
form  the  firm  of  Bass,  Cleveland  & 
Bissel.  In  1881  he  was  elected  mayor 
of  Buffalo  by  the  largest  majority 
to  a  mayoralty  candidate  ever  given 
in  that  city.  In  1882  he  was  made 
governor  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
He  was  nominated  as  Democratic 
candidate  for  the  presidency  in  1884, 
was  elected,  and  inaugurated  on 
March  4,  1885.  His  term  of  office 
was  notable  on  account  of  his  exer- 
cising the  veto  power  beyond  all 
precedent.  He  vetoed  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  out  of  nine  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  bills,  which  had  passed 
both  houses,  one  hundred  and  two  of 
theSfe  being  private  pension  bills.  On 
June  2,  1886,  he  was  married,  in  the 
White  House,  to  Frances  Folsom,  the 
daughter  of  one  of  his  former  law  J°HN  HAY. 


political  offices,  including  the  attorney- 
generalship  of  Maine  from  1867  to 
1869,  presidential  elector  1864,  was 
made  a  member  of  congress  in  1871, 
which  office  he  held  for  ten  years, 
was  chairman  of  the  commerce  com- 
mittee of  the  senate  and  member  of 
the  peace  commission  in  Paris,  1898; 
was  president  pro  tern,  of  the  sen- 
ate from  1896  to  1901,  and  after  the 
death  of  Vice-President  Hobart  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  that  office  dur- 
ing the  Fifty-sixth  congress.  He  is 
now  acting  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  foreign  relations.  Mr.  Frye 
married  Caroline  Spears,  who  died  in 
1900.  His  life  history  is  one  that  has 
for  its  moral  the  power  of  integrity 
when  welded  to  unceasing  effort. 


partners.  In  1888  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
candidate  for  a  second  term  as  presi- 
dent, but  was  defeated  by  Benjamin 
Harrison.  In  1892  he  was  again  a 
candidate,  and  this  time  he  was  elect- 
ed. Mr.  Cleveland  was  without  doubt 
the  most  popular  Democrat  of  his 
time  when  running  for  the  presi- 
dency. He  is  an  enthusiastic  devotee 
ol  gun  and  rod,  an  ideal  host,  and 
even  those  who  differ  with  him  polit- 
ically admit  his  statesmanship. 

\VILLIAM  PIERCE  FRYE. 

William  Pierce  Frye,  who,  since 
1861,  has  been  United  States  senator 
from  Maine,  was  born  at  Lewiston, 
Maine,  September  2,  1831.  His  father 
was  Colonel  John  N.  Frye  and  his 
mother  Alice  N.  (Davis)  Frye.  Grad- 
uating from  Bowdoin  college  in  1850, 
he  subsequently  carried  out  the  wishes 
of  his  family  and  the  trend  of  his 
own  inclinations  by  following  a  legal 
career,  in  which  he  was  eminently 
successful.  Becoming  a  member  of 
the  Maine  legislature  in  1861,  he 
was  mayor  of  Lewiston  from  1866  to 
1867,  and  afterward  held  a  variety  of 


John  Hay,  who,  since  1890,  has 
been  secretary  of  state  of  the  United 
States,  first  saw  the  light  at  Salem, 
Indiana,  on  October  8,  1838.  His 
father  was  Dr.  Charles  Hay,  and  John 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
at  Warsaw,  Illinois,  and  in  the  acad- 
emy at  Springfield,  Illinois.  He  grad- 
uated from  Brown  university  in  1858, 
and  after  a  preparatory  period  in  a 
local  law  school  was  admitted  to  the 
Illinois  bar.  Mr.  Hay  was  one  of  the 
private  secretaries  of  President  Lin- 
coln. He  was  breveted  colonel  of 
United  States  Volunteers  and  was 
also  assistant  adjutant-general  during 
the  Civil  war.  He  has  also  been  sec- 
retary of  legation  at  Paris,  Madrid 
and  Vienna  and  was  charge  d'af- 
faires at  Vienna.  From  1879  to  1881 
he  acted  as  first  assistant  secretary  of 
state.  During  the  international  sani- 
tary conference  of  1881  he  was  made 
its  president.  His  services  as  ambas- 
sador to  England  from  1897  to  1898 
will  be  long  remembered  in  connec- 
tion with  his  tactful  and  dignified 
diplomacy.  Mr.  Hay,  notwithstand- 
ing his  many  and  onerous  official 


6l8 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


duties  has  found  time  to  write  books 
of  both  prose  and  poetry.  His  Cas- 
tilian  Days  and  Pike  County  Ballads 
are  among  the  most  popular  of  these. 
In  1874  he  married  Clara  Stone,  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

GEORGE  FRISBIE  HOAR. 

A  commanding  figure  among  the 
Republican  forces  in  the  United  States 
senate,  not  alone  from  his  personality 
and  ability,  but  also  because  of  his 
attitude  on  trust  legislation  and  on 
the  Philippine  question,  is  George 
Frisbie  Hoar,  Massachusetts.  Mr. 
Hoar  was  born  in  Concord,  Massa- 
chusetts, August  29,  1826.  A  gradu- 
ate of  Harvard  in  1846,  aged  twenty, 
and  later  of  Harvard  law  school,  he 
has  retained  his  interest  in  higher 
education,  and  in  scholarly  matters. 
He  has  been  an  overseer  of  Harvard 
college  from  1874  to  1880,  at  various 
times  regent  of  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitute, a  trustee  of  the  Leicester 
academy  and  the  Peabody  Museum 
of  Archaeology,  and  officer  of  various 
national  and  state  societies.  He  set- 
tled in  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
after  graduating  and  practiced  law. 
He  has  been  married  twice,  his  first 
wife  being  Mary  Louisa  Spurr  and 
his  second  Ruth  A.  Miller.  His  ser- 
vice in  the  senate,  since  1877,  is  ex- 
ceeded by  but  few  fellow-members, 
and  he  represents  that  body's  best 
traditions.  He  was  elected  because, 
as  legislator  from  1852  to  1856,  as 
state  senator  in  1856,  and  as  member 
of  congress  from  1869  until  he  was 
sent  to  the  senate,  he  had  shown 
marked  ability,  an  unfailing  watch- 
fulness for  public  welfare  and  an  un- 
swerving honesty  as  rare  as  it  is  de- 
sirable. Senator  Hoar  is  a  striking 
example  of  how  irreproachable  integ- 
rity can  take  active  and  prominent 
part  in  party  politics.  He  has  kept 
his  influence  in  his  party  and  in  gen- 
eral legislation  in  spite  of  sometimes 


opposing  leaders  of  his  own  party, 
when  his  conscience  and  judgment 
bade  him  do  so. 

HENRY  CABOT  LODGE. 

Henry  Cabot  Lodge  was  born  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  May  12,  1850. 
He  prepared  for  college  in  Dixwell 
Latin  school,  and,  entering  Harvard, 
was  graduated  in  1876.  After  his 
graduation  he  spent  a  year  in  travel- 
ing. Returning  to  America  in  1872, 
he  entered  the  Harvard  law  school. 
In  January,  1874,  he  became  assistant 
editor  of  the  North  American  Re- 
view, which  position  he  held  until 
November,  1876.  In  1875  he  was  a 
lecturer  on  The  History  of  the 
American  Colonies,  in  Harvard. 
From  1879  to  1882  he  was  associate 
editor  of  the  International  Review  of 
Boston.  During  the  same  period  he 
was  elected  member  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts house  of  representatives.  In 
1881  he  was  the  Republican  candidate 
for  the  state  senate,  but  was  defeated. 
He  was  nominated  for  congress  in 
1884,  but  was  again  defeated.  In 
1886,  however,  being  nominated 
again,  he  was  successful  and  was  re- 
elected  for  three  successive  congress- 
es, but  resigned  after  his  last  election 
on  account  of  having  been  made  a 
United  States  senator,  January  17, 
1893.  In  the  senate  he  has  made  his 
mark.  Mr.  Lodge  is  an  orator  of 
much  ability,  a  far-sighted  political 
executive,  and  a  writer  of  considera- 
ble merit.  Among  his  books  are :  A 
Short  History  of  the  English  Colo- 
nies, Life  of  Washington,  Daniel 
Webster,  History  of  Boston,  and 
he  has  contributed  to  the  Encyclo- 
paedia Britannica  and  other  works. 
He  is  a  fluent  lecturer.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society,  the  American  Academy  of 
Arts  and  Sciences,  trustee  of  the  Bos- 
ton Athenaeum,  a  member  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society,  and  a 


619 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


member  of  the  New  England  His- 
toric Genealogical  Society.  In  1874 
he  was  elected  an  overseer  of  Har- 
vard university,  and  was  offered  the 
degree  of  LL.D.  in  1875.  He  mar- 
ried, on  June  29,  1871,  Anna,  daugh- 
ter of  Rear  Admiral  Charles  S. 
Davis,  and  has  three  children  by  her. 

RICHARD  OLNEY. 

Richard  Olney  was  born  in  Ox- 
ford, Massachusetts,  September  15, 
1835,  and  is  of  English  ancestry.  He 
received  his  preliminary  education  at 
Leicester  academy,  and  graduated 
with  high  honors  at  Brown  univer- 
sity in  1856.  He  was  graduated  with 
the  degree  of  bachelor  of  laws  from 
Harvard  law  school  in  1858,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  following 
year,  entering  the  office  of  Judge  Ben- 
jamin F.  Thomas,  with  whom  he  was 
associated  for  ten  years.  Mr.  Olney 
made  a  specialty  of  the  laws  relative 
to  wills,  estates  and  corporations.  In 
1893  he  was  appointed  attorney-gen- 
eral by  President  Cleveland.  By  his 
advice  Mr.  Cleveland  called  out  regu- 
lar troops,  July,  1894,  to  suppress  the 
rioting  that  followed  on  the  Chicago 
American  railway  union  strike.  In 
March,  1895,  he  successfully  defended 
that  action  in  an  argument  before  the 
Supreme  Court  in  the  habeas  corpus 
proceedings  brought  by  Eugene  V. 
Debs,  who  had  been  convicted  of  in- 
citing the  strikers.  Upon  the  death 
of  Walter  Q.  Gresham,  Mr.  Olney 
was  appointed  secretary  of  state  and 
took  office  June  10,  1895.  He  was 
married,  in  1861,  to  Agnes  Park, 


daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  Thomas,  of 
Boston. 

ELIHU  ROOT. 

Elihu  Root,  secretary  of  war  of  the 
United  States  and  one  of  the  most 
successful  lawyers  of  his  generation, 
was  born  at  Clinton,  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1845.  His  father  was  Orin 
Root,  who  was  for  many  years  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics  at  Hamilton 
college,  from  which  institution 
young  Root  graduated  in  1864.  For 
a  year  or  more  he  was  a  teacher  in 
Rome,  New  York,  academy.  Coming 
to  New  York,  he  studied  in  the  Uni- 
versity law  school  until  1867,  when 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  begin- 
ning to  practice  forthwith.  He  lost 
no  time  in  getting  into  the  current  of 
affairs  in  the  metropolis,  and  soon 
began  to  attract  attention  on  account 
of  his  earnestness  and  ability,  and  so, 
while  still  a  very  young  man,  was  re- 
tained on  important  cases.  President 
Arthur  appointed  him  United  States 
attorney  for  the  southern  district  of 
New  York  in  1883.  He  was  delegate- 
at-large  at  the  state  constitutional 
convention  in  1894,  was  appointed 
secretary  of  war,  August  I,  1899,  by 
President  McKinley,  and  was  reap- 
pointed  in  1901.  As  a  corporation 
lawyer  he  has  had  to  do  with  some 
historical  legal  cases,  such  as  the 
Hocking  Valley  suit,  in  which  the 
amount  involved  was  $8,000,000.  A 
few  years  ago  he  erected  in  the  Ham- 
ilton college  grounds  the  Root  Hall 
of  Science  as  a  memorial  to  his  fa- 
ther. He  is  married  and  has  three 
children — two  boys  and  a  girl. 


INDUSTRIAL  LEADERS. 


E.  G.  ACHESON. 

E.  G.  Acheson,  the  inventor  of  car- 
borundum, which  may  be  called  an 
artificial  gem  that,  unlike  the  major- 


ity of  gems,  is  much  more  useful  than 
ornamental,  has  proven  that  for  a 
man  of  ideas  and  ability  the  world 
of  to-day  is  as  full  of  opportunities 


620 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


as  it  was  in  those  periods  which  are 
somewhat  vaguely  alluded  to  by  less 
successful  men  as  "the  good  old 
times."  Mr.  Acheson  was  born  at 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  in  1854, 
and  after  receiving  a  public  school, 
college  and  technical  training,  entered 
the  employ  of  Edison,  the  inventor. 
From  the  first  he  was  a  persistent 
and  somewhat  daring  experimentalist, 
one  of  his  scientific  fads  being  the 
manufacture  of  artificial  diamonds, 
and  it  was  during  the  investigations 
made  by  him  in  relation  thereunto 
that  carborundum — a  substance  which 
has  revolutionized  some  industries 
and  incidentally  brought  fame  and 
fortune  to  its  discoverer  and  his  as- 
sociates— was  obtained.  The  principle 
of  the  electric  furnace,  by  means  of 
which  the  substance  in  question  is 
manufactured,  was  in  existence  many 
years  before  Mr.  Acheson  began  to 
use  it  in  connection  with  his  experi- 
mental work,  but  other  scientists  had 
failed  to  recognize  its  possibilities. 
Carborundum  is  produced  by  fusing 
carbon  and  silicon  by  means  of  a 
huge  electric  arc,  the  result  being  a 
mass  of  beautifully  colored  crystals 
which  are  harder  than  any  known 
substance  except  diamonds.  Carbo- 
rundum is  rapidly  taking  the  place  of 
emery  for  abrasive  purposes.  An- 
other product  of  the  electric  furnace — 
artificial  graphite — is  also  a  discovery 
of  Mr.  Acheson,  and  which  is  of 
great  value  in  many  of  the  arts  and 
sciences. 

CHARLES  HENRY  CRAMP. 

"He  did  not  cease  to  be  a  student 
when  he  left  school."  This  fact  to  a 
very  great  extent  accounts  for  the 
achievements  qf  Charles  H.  Cramp, 
who  is  the  president  of  the  largest 
shipbuilding  enterprise  in  the  United 
States.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
May  9,  1828,  and  is  the  oldest  son  of 
William  Cramp,  who  was  the  founder 


of  the  industry  which  bears  his  name. 
After  receiving  a  thorough  schooling 
and  graduating  from  the  Philadelphia 
high  school,,  he  learned  the  shipbuild- 
ing trade  with  his  father.  He  is  now 
recognized  as  the  head  of  naval  archi- 
tecture on  the  American  continent. 
Mr.  Cramp's  services  in  the  recon- 
struction of  the  navy  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  revival  of  the  American 
merchant  marine  alone  entitle  him  to 
permanent  distinction.  Beginning  in 
1887  his  firm  built,  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, the  Yorktown  (gunboat),  the 
Vesuvius  (dynamite  torpedo  vessel), 
Baltimore  (protected  cruiser),  Phila- 
delphia (protected  cruiser),  New 
York  (armored  cruiser),  Columbia 
(protected  cruiser),  Minneapolis 
(protected  cruiser),  Indiana  (battle- 
ship), Massachusetts  (battleship), 
Brooklyn  (armored  cruiser),  and  the 
Iowa  (seagoing  battleship).  The  fleet 
has  an  aggregate  of  nearly  eighty 
•thousand  tons  of  displacement  and 
one  hundred  and  forty-seven  thousand 
indicated  horse-power.  The  shipyard 
covers  thirty  acres  of  ground,  employs 
six  thousand  men  and  was  capitalized 
at  $5,000,000  in  1894.  The  William 
Cramp  &  Sons  Ship  and  Engine 
Building  Co.,  from  a  simple  ship- 
yard, has  reached  the  status  of  the 
greatest  and  most  complete  naval  ar- 
senal in  the  western  hemisphere. 

CHARLES  RANLETT  FLINT. 

The  personality  of  Charles  R.  Flint 
does  not  suggest  the  strenuous  nature 
of  his  life,,  past  and  present;  yet  but 
few  men  in  this  country  have  shoul- 
dered or  for  that  matter  are  shoulder- 
ing so  many  business  responsibilities 
as  he  is  doing — and  of  large  caliber 
at  that.  Mr.  Flint's  successes  on  the 
lines  indicated  are  due  to  system,  and 
system  only.  With  him  there  is  a 
place  for  each  responsibility  and  each 
responsibility  occupies  its  place  in  the 
total  scheme  of  his  business  existence. 


621 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


He  was  born  at  Thomaston,  Maine, 
January  24,  1850,  graduated  from  the 
Polytechnic  institute,  Brooklyn,  in 
1868,  and  in  1883  married  E.  Kate, 
daughter  of  Joseph  F.  Simmons,  of 
Troy,  N.  Y.  To  catalogue  the  indus- 
tries and  enterprises  which  Mr.  Flint 
has  organized  or  is  connected  with 
would  be  an  undertaking  in  itself. 
Suffice  it  that  he  is  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  rubber  and  lumber  in- 
dustries, is  interested  in  street  rail- 
ways in  New  York  state,  is  a  director 
in  several  banks,  has  organized  iron 
and  steel,  steamship,  starch,  caramel 
and  general  export  companies,  has 
acted  as  United  States  consul  in  Cen- 
tral American  countries,  in  1893  fitted 
out  a  fleet  of  war  vessels  for  the 
Brazilian  republic,  bought  for  and  de- 
livered to  Japan  a  cruiser  during  the 
China-Japan  war,  and,  in  1898,  was 
the  confidential  agent  of  the  United 
States  in  negotiating  for  the  purchase 
of  war  vessels. 

CHARLES  MELVILLE  HAYS. 

It  is  a  good  thing  for  the  world  at 
large  that  human  talents  are  of  a 
diversified  nature.  It  is  an  equally 
excellent  thing  that  the  possession  of 
special  gift  on  the  part  of  an  indi- 
vidual is  recognized  by  those  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact.  A  case  in 
point  is  furnished  by  Charles  M. 
Hays,  who,  until  lately,  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad. 
Mr.  Hays'  work  in  life  seems  to  have 
been  that  of  turning  unprofitable  rail- 
road systems  into  permanently  pay- 
ing propositions.  He  was  born  May 
16,  1856,  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  his 
parents  being  in  fairly  comfortable 
circumstances.  After  a  common  school 
training  he  entered  the  railroad  ser- 
vice in  1873,  his  first  position  being 
in  the  passenger  department  of  the 
St.  Louis,  Atlantic  &  Pacific  railroad. 
The  rungs  of  the  ladder  of  his  subse- 
quent upward  climb  are  something  in 

622 


this  order:  Prompted  to  a  clerkship 
in  the  auditor's  office,  he  was  at 
length  placed  in  the  general  superin- 
tendent's office  on  the  same  line;  next 
he  is  heard  of  as  secretary  of  the 
general  manager  of  the  Missouri  Pa- 
cific railroad,  and  in  1886  he  was 
made  assistant  general  manager  of 
the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  rail- 
road; three  years  later  he  was  ap- 
pointed general  manager  of  the 
Wabash  &  Western  railroad,  and  was 
afterward  made  manager  of  the 
Wabash  system,  which  was  the  out- 
come of  the  consolidation  of  the 
Wabash  Western  and  Wabash  rail- 
roads. He  has  also  been  general 
manager  of  the  Grand  Trunk  system, 
and,  as  already  intimated,  was,  until 
recently,  the  president  of  the  South- 
ern railroad.  When  Mr.  Hays  took 
hold  of  the  Wabash  lines  they  were 
in  about  as  bad  a  condition  as  railroad 
lines  can  be.  The  same  remark  ap- 
plies to  the  Grand  Trunk  system. 
When  Mr.  Hays  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  these  corporations  they 
were  in  a  flourishing  condition — pop- 
ular with  the  public  and  paying  as  to 
dividends.  He  created  their  prosper- 
ity by  the  industrious  exercise  of  his 
special  talents.  The  lesson  may  be 
taken  to  heart. 

JOHN  B.  HERRESHOFF. 

The  person  who  is  handicapped  in 
the  struggle  for  existence  by  physical 
infirmities  excites  our  sympathy,  but 
when  such  an  one  achieves  as  well  as 
or  far  better  than  the  normal  individ- 
ual, we  regard  him  with  an  admira- 
tion that  is  akin  to  wonder.  John  B. 
Herreshoff,  the  famous  blind  yacht 
and  boat  designer,  is  such  an  individ- 
ual. He  is  a  marvel  such  as  the 
world  has  never  seen  before,  and  is 
not  likely  to  witness  for  some  time 
to  come.  He  is  the  admitted  head  of 
a  profession  which  as  one  would  be- 
lieve calls  for  keen  eyes  as  a  prelimi- 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


nary.  Yet  Mr.  Herreshoff  has  set  all 
precedent  at  naught.  It  would  almost 
seem  that  his  blindness,  so  far  from 
being  a  handicap,  is  of  positive  value 
to  him,  for  it  is  certain  that  those 
exquisite  floating  creations  of  his, 
have  never  yet  been  duplicated  by  the 
owners  of  eyesight.  When,  in  Au- 
gust, 1851,  the  America  won  the  fa- 
mous "Queen's  Cup,"  which  has  ever 
since  remained  on  this  side  of  the 
water,  two  youngsters  were  playing 
on  a  farm  at  Point  Pleasant,  at  Bris- 
tol, Rhode  Island.  John,  the  oldest, 
was  then  a  blue-eyed  boy  of  ten.  As 
soon  as  he  could  use  a  knife  he  began 
to  whittle  boats,  and  when  fourteen 
years  of  age  built  a  usable  craft, 
which  was  said  to  be  a  marvel  of 
beauty  by  local  experts.  At  fifteen, 
blindness  descended  upon  him,  but  he 
nevertheless  continued  to  study  boats 
and  build  them.  His  younger  brother, 
Nathaniel,  also  had  a  love  for  boats, 
and  together  the  two  brothers  lived 
and  ruled  and  had  their  being  in  an 
atmosphere  of  boats.  Both  boys  were 
educated  at  local  schools,  and  John, 
with  the  assistance  of  his  mother, 
managed  to  keep  pace  with  his  fellow 
pupils.  Nathaniel  became  a  civil  en- 
gineer and  made  a  name  for  himself 
in  his  profession.  In  the  meantime 
the  reputation  of  John  had  so  ex- 
tended that  in  1863  he  founded  the 
Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Co.,  and 
fourteen  years  later  Nathaniel  became 
a  partner  in  the  concern  and  is  now 
its  superintendent.  The  fame  of  the 
Herreshoffs  is  perhaps  best  known 
to  the  public  in  connection  with  their 
construction  of  several  of  the  defen- 
ders of  the  "Queens,"  or,  as  it  is  bet- 
ter known  on  this  side  of  the  water, 
"The  America  Cup."  John  B.  Herres- 
hoff, on  being  asked  what  the  ele- 
ments of  success  are,  said :  "Con- 
centration, decision,  industry,  econ- 
omy, together  with  an  invincible  de- 
termination and  persistence,  will  al- 


ways  place   a    man    in   the   position 
which  he  desires." 

LEWIS  NIXON. 

"Four  letters  sum  up  my  idea  of 
how  to  make  a  success  in  life;  they 
are  W-p-R-K  (work)."  These  are 
the  sentiments  of  Lewis  Nixon,  who 
starting  life  as  a  poor  boy,  has  by 
sheer  determination  won  social  posi- 
tion, fame,  wealth  and  political  honor 
before  he  was  forty.  His  story  is  a 
simple  one,  but  none  the  less  helpful. 
Born  in  Leesburg,  Virginia,  April 
7,  1861,  he  was  the  son  of  Joel  Lewis 
and  Mary  Frances  (Turner)  Nixon. 
His  parents  were  in  poor  circum- 
stances. His  diligence  in  the  public 
schools  interested  General  Eppa  Hun- 
ton  (then  representative  from  Vir- 
ginia), who  secured  for  him  an  ap- 
pointment to  the  United  States  Naval 
academy  at  Annapolis  as  midshipman, 
and  in  1862  he  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class.  Going  to  England,  he 
took  a  course  in  naval  architecture 
and  marine  engineering.  Upon  re- 
turning to  this  country,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  staff  of  the  chief  con- 
structor of  the  navy  and  served  as 
superintendent  of  construction  at  the 
Cramp  yards  and  the  New  York  navy 
yard.  In  1890  he  designed,  in  ninety 
days,  the  battleships  Indiana,  the 
Massachusetts  and  the  Oregon.  After 
resigning  from  the  navy  department, 
he  became  superintending  constructor 
of  the  Cramps'  yard,  Philadelphia, 
but  soon  after  resigned  that  position 
and  opened  a  shipyard  of  his  own  at 
Elizabeth,  New  Jersey.  He  has  built 
the  gunboats  Annapolis,  Josephine, 
Mangro  and  others,  besides  the  sub- 
marine torpedo  boat  Holland.  He 
was  married  in  Washington,  January 
29,  1891,  to  Sallie  Lewis  Wood.  Mr. 
Nixon  is  a  member  of  the  New  Eng- 
land organization  of  architects  and 
marine  engineers,  the  chamber  of 
commerce,  and  is  a  member  of  the 


623 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


Democratic  club,  Press  club,  Army 
and  Navy  club  of  Washington  and 
others.  He  takes  an  active  part  in 
Democratic  politics. 

JOHN  H.  PATTERSON. 

John  H.  Patterson,  the  president  of 
the  International  Cash  Register  Co., 
of  Dayton,  Ohio,  is  a  specimen  of 
what,  happily  for  this  country,  is  not 
an  infrequent  young  American,  whose 
original  capital  being  that  of  brains 
and  industry,  pays  interest  in  the 
shape  of  great  enterprises  and  a  large 
fortune.  Mr.  Patterson's  parents  were 
farmers.  After  a  public  school  edu- 
cation he  went  to  Miami  university, 
and  afterward  to  Dartmouth  college. 
On  graduating  he  began  life  without 
any  definite  plans,  clerked,  saved 
money  and  pushed  ahead  until  he  be- 
came manager  of  a  coal  mine.  It 
was  while  he  was  holding  this  posi- 
tion that  he  heard  of  the  then  almost 
unknown  cash  register,  bought  two  of 
them  and  saw  that  there  was  a  field 
for  their  development  and  use.  To- 
gether with  his  brother,  Frank  R. 
Patterson,  he  bought  the  patent  of 
the  machine  and  began  to  manufac- 


ture the  registers.  In  1894,  after  ten 
years  of  effort,  and  with  success  ap- 
parently in  sight,  the  brothers  were 
confronted  with  the  complete  failure 
of  one  of  their  new  inventions  and 
the  return  from  England  of  a  carload 
of  broken  machines,  instead  of  an  ex- 
pected draft  for  $30,000.  Nothing 
daunted,  Mr.  Patterson  began  to  ana- 
lyze the  causes  of  the  setback  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  suc- 
cessful manufacture  of  the  machines 
depended  on  the  faithfulness  of  his 
workmen,  which  had  to  rest  upon  the 
mutual  goodwill  of  employer  and  em- 
ploye. This  belief  led  him  to  adopt 
an  industrial  system  which  is  proba- 
bly unique  in  the  annals  of  manufac- 
turing enterprises.  Briefly,  it  con- 
sists of  developing  the  mechanical 
talents  of  the  workmen  by  prizes  and 
promotions ;  by  making  schools,  clubs, 
libraries,  choral  societies  and  the  like 
a  part  of  the  economy  of  the  factory 
and  by  remembering  that  all  work 
makes  Jack  and  his  bosses  very  dull 
boys  indeed.  That  the  principle  is  a 
sound  one  seems  to  be  certain,  if  one 
may  judge  by  the  general  use  of  the 
Patterson  cash  register. 


MANUFACTURERS. 


HUGH  CHISHOLM. 

The  individual  who  begins  life  as 
a  poor  newsboy,  and  in  the  full 
flush  of  his  manhood  is  found  to  be 
the  head  of  an  industry  created  by 
himself  in  which  untold  millions  are 
invested,  and  which  is  of  supreme 
importance  to  the  community,  serves 
his  generation  in  more  ways  than  one. 
If  he  has  done  nothing  else  he  has 
acted  as  an  exemplar  for  the  faint- 
hearted, as  a  beacon  for  the  perse- 
vering, and  as  a  type  of  American 
manhood,  and  all  that  lies  before  it. 
Such  an  individual  is  Hugh  Chis- 
holm,  who  has  brought  into  existence 


a  corporation  which  is  making  paper 
for  nearly  all  the  newspapers  of  the 
United  States.  When  it  is  said  that 
one  New  York  newspaper  buys  six 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  paper  every 
day,  some  idea  may  be  gained  of  the 
vast  proportions  of  the  industry.  Mr. 
Chisholm  was  born  at  Niagara-on- 
the-Lake,  Canada,  May  2,  1847,  and 
began  life  as  a  train  newsboy  on  the 
Grand  Trunk  railroad,,  studying 
meanwhile  in  evening  classes  of  busi- 
ness colleges  in  Toronto.  When  the 
Civil  war  broke  out,  the  lad,  who  is 
of  Scotch  descent,  with  the  shrewd- 
ness of  his  race,  realized  the  possi- 


624 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


bilities  of  the  situation  and  pushed 
his  wares  to  the  utmost,  sometimes 
holding  them  at  a  premium.  He  at 
length  was  able  to  hire  some  other 
boys  to  sell  newspapers  for  him.  He 
next  obtained  from  the  railroad  com- 
pany the  exclusive  right  to  sell  news- 
papers on  the  division  east  of  Toron- 
to. He  extended  his  "combinations," 
and  when  he  was  twenty-five  years 
of  age  had  the  exclusive  news  routes 
over  four  thousand  miles  of  railroad, 
and  had  two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
on  his  payroll.  Selling  out  his  inter- 
ests to  his  brothers,  who  had  similar 
interests  in  New  England,  he  pur- 
chased the  latter  and  located  in  Port- 
land, Maine,  where  he  added  pub- 
lishing to  his  business.  Foreseeing  a 
growth  of  the  newspaper  trade,  and 
realizing  that  there  would  be  a  huge 
consequent  demand  for  white  paper, 
he  organized  the  Somerset  Fiber 
Company,  the  manufacturing  of  wood 
pulp  at  Fairfield.  Later  he  estab- 
lished a  number  of  pulp  mills  in 
Maine.  Next  he  devised  a  plan  of 
business  consolidations  and  a  few 
years  ago  the  Chisholm  properties  and 
a  score  of  other  mills  in  New  Eng- 
land, New  York  and  Canada  were 
merged  into  one  company.  The  out- 
put of  the  mills  is  more  than  1,500 
tons  per  day  and  is  increasing  rapid- 
ly. In  1872  he  married  Henrietta 
Mason,  of  Portland. 

THEODORE  LOWE  DE  VINNE. 

From  a  country  printer  boy  to  the 
head  of  one  of  the  greatest  printing 
establishments  in  the  metropolis — 
this  in  brief  is  the  story  of  the  career 
of  Theodore  Lowe  De  Vinne.  He 
was  born  in  Stamford,  Connecticut, 
December  25,  1828,  being  the  second 
son  of  Daniel  and  Joanna  Augusta 
De  Vinne.  His  parents  were  of  Hol- 
land extraction.  His  father  was  a 
Methodist  minister,  who  was  an  un- 
compromising opponent  of  slavery. 


Theodore  secured  a  common  school 
education  at  Catskill,  White  Plains, 
and  Amenia,  New  York,  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  entered  the  office  of 
the  Gazette,  Newburgh,  New  York, 
to  learn  the  printing  trade.  After  he 
had  gotten  a  general  knowledge  of 
the  business  he  went  to  New  York 
city  in  1848.  Two  years  later  he  ob- 
tained employment  in  the  establish- 
ment of  Francis  Hart  &  Co.  and  rose 
to  the  position  of  foreman.  In  1858 
he  became  a  junior  partner  in  the 
firm  and  five  years  after  the  death 
of  Mr.  Hart,  which  took  place  in 
1883,  he  changed  the  name  of  the 
firm  to  Theodore  L.  De  Vinne  &  Co., 
making  his  only  son,  Theodore  L. 
De  Vinne,  Jr.,  his  partner.  He  now 
occupies  one  of  the  largest  buildings 
in  the  United  States,  which  is  wholly 
devoted  to  the  printing  business.  Mr. 
De  Vinne  has  marked  ability  as  an 
organizer,  having,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  late  Peter  C.  Baker,  formed 
the  society  now  known  as  the  Typo- 
thetse.  In  1850  he  married  Grace, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Brockbant.  He 
is  the  author  of  the  Printers'  Price 
List,  The  Invention  of  Printing,  His- 
toric Types  and  Printing  Types.  Mr. 
De  Vinne  has  done  much  to  elevate 
the  standard  of  typography.  As  early 
as  1863  the  American  institute  award- 
ed his  firm  a  medal  for  the  best  book 
printing.  The  firm  has  published  St. 
Nicholas  and  the  Century  since  1874. 

WILLIAM  Louis  DOUGLAS. 

William  Louis  Douglas,  of  Brock- 
ton, Massachusetts,  who,  through  the 
medium  of  his  widely  advertised 
shoes,  is  probably  one  of  the  most 
easily  recognized  men  in  the  United 
States,  was  born  in  Plymouth,,  Mas- 
sachusetts, August  22,  1845.  The 
career  of  Mr.  Douglas  emphasizes  the 
fact  that  the  days  of  opportunity  for 
young  men  without  money  or  influ- 
ence are  by  no  means  over.  .He  was 


625 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


an  orphan,  handicapped  by  lack  of 
schooling,  a  victim  of  injustice  and 
apparently  without  any  prospects  in 
life  whatever.  Now  he  is  the  owner 
of  a  vast  fortune,  a  great  businesj,  an 
honorable  place  among  honored  men, 
and  has  influence  for  good  in  labor- 
ing circles,  and  no  small  power  polit- 
ically. When  Mr.  Douglas  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  was  lost  at 
sea.  At  the  age  of  seven  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  his  uncle  to  learn  the 
shoemaking  trade.  The  uncle  proved 
to  be  a  hard  taskmaster,  and  at  the 


enacted  in  the  state  legislature  of 
Massachusetts  for  the  establishment 
of  a  board  of  arbitration  and  concilia- 
tion. Labor  troubles  are  practically 
unknown  in  the  Douglas  factory.  Mr. 
Douglas  is  also  the  author  of  the 
weekly  payment  law  that  observes  in 
Massachusetts,  is  president  of  the 
people's  savings  bank  of  Brockton,  a 
director  in  the  Home  national  bank 
and  ex-president  of  the  Brockton, 
Taunton  &  Bridgewater  street  rail- 
road. 


expiratiorTof'  Ws-*a^enticeship"wiii-  CHARLES  EASTMAN. 


iam  found  himself  the  owner  of  just 
ten  dollars  and  remembrances  of 
many  hard  knocks.  Subsequently  he 
tried  several  ways  of  getting  a  liveli- 
hood, from  driving  ox  teams  in  Ne- 
braska to  working  at  his  trade.  In 
conjunction  with  a  Mr.  Studley,  he 
opened  a  boot  store  at  Golden,  Colo- 
rado. The  venture  did  not  pay,  and 
returning  to  Massachusetts  he  took 
to  shoemaking  again  until  1870,  when 
he  removed  to  Brockton  to  become 
superintendent  of  the  shoe  factory  of 
Porter  &  Southworth.  In  18761,  with 
a  borrowed  capital  of  $375,  he  went 
into  business  for  himself.  Successful 
from  the  start,  he,  six  years  later, 
built  a  four-story  factory,  which  had 
a  capacity  of  1,440  pairs  of  boots 
daily.  In  1884  he  placed  on  the  mar- 
ket his  well-known  $3  shoe,  with 
which  his  name  and  his  face  are  so 
prominently  identified.  He  has 
broken  away  from  the  old  traditions 
of  manufacturers  by  establishing  re- 
tail stores,  where  he  sells  direct  to 
the  public.  The  Douglas  factory  of 
to-day  was  erected  in  1892,  and  has 


Charles  Eastman  was  born  at 
Waterville,  New  York,  July  12,  1854. 
Photographers,  especially  amateurs, 
need  not  be  told  who  Mr.  Eastman 
is,  inasmuch  as  he  has  done  much  to 
popularize  the  camera  and  all  that  to 
it  belongs.  He  was  educated  at 
Rochester,  New  York.  Becoming  in- 
terested in  amateur  photography,  he 
began  a  source  of  exhausted  experi- 
ments to  the  end  of  making  dry  plates 
and  secured  results  which  prompted 
him  to  make  further  investigations. 
These  latter  were  successful  also,  and 
from  this  preliminary  work  rose  the 
great  business  with  which  he  is  now 
identified.  The  kodak,  which  is  prob- 
ably the  most  popular  of  cameras  in 
the  world,  is  his  invention  also.  He 
is  manager  of  the  Eastman  Kodak 
Company,  of  Rochester,  and  of  Lon- 
don, England;  president  of  the  Gen- 
eral Aristo  Company,,  of  Rochester, 
and  is  the  head  of  the  so-called  cam- 
era trust.  Mr.  Eastman  is  a  member 
of  many  social  and  scientific  organi- 
zations, and  gives  liberally  to  charita- 
ble institutions. 


a   capacity  of   10,240  pairs   of  boots  _ 

daily.    There  are  2,724  employes.  Mr.  ALBERT  AUGUST  POPE. 


Douglas  is  Democratic  in  politics.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  common 
council  of  Brockton  several  times  and 
was  its  mayor  in  1800.  It  was 
through  his  efforts  that  a  bill  was 


The  name  of  Colonel  Albert  Au- 
gust Pope  is  identified  with  the  popu- 
larizing of  the  bicycle  in  this  country, 
for  he  it  was  who,  more  than  any 
other,  gave  it  the  impetus  which 


626 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


made  it  a  prime  favorite  with  the 
public.  Apart  from  that,,  however,  he 
has  furnished  us  with  yet  another 
example  of  the  power  of  push,  perse- 
verance and  probity.  Colonel  Pope 
was  born  in  Boston^  May  10,  1843,  of 
poor  parents.  He  had  to  leave  school 
early  in  life  in  order  to  earn  a  liveli- 
hood. When  ten  years  of  age  he 
peddled  fruit,  and  it  is  said  by  per- 
sons who  knew  him  in  those  days 
that  he  made  it  a  rule  to  pay  every 
debt  as  soon  as  it  was  due.  After 
years  of  hard  work  young  Pope,  then 
nineteen,  accepted  a  junior  second 
lieutenancy  in  Company  I,  of  the 
Thirty-sixth  Massachusetts  Volun- 
teers. His  record  during  the  war 
was  most  brilliant,  and  he  came  out 
of  it  with  the  rank  of  colonel.  He 
then  went  into  business  for  himself 
and  built  up  a  profitable  trade.  It 
was  in  the  centennial  exposition  in 
1876  that  he  first  saw  a  bicycle.  Re- 
alizing the  future  of  the  machine,  he 
in  1877  placed  an  order  for  "an  im- 
portation of  English  wheels."  In 
the  same  year  he  organized  the  Pope 
Manufacturing  Company.  The  vast 
nature  of  the  business  done  by  the 
corporation  is  a  matter  of  familiarity 
to  all  those  who  were  or  are  inter- 
ested in  bicycles.  He  also  founded 
the  publication  entitled  The  Wheel- 
man, putting  upward  of  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  the  enterprise.  It  is 
known  today  under  the  name  of  Out- 
ing. It  was  mainly  through  his  ef- 
forts that  public  parks  and  boulevards 
were  thrown  open  to  the  uses  of 
bicycles,  and  that  the  machine  was 
put  upon  the  same  footing  as  any 
other  vehicle.  When  the  bicycle  in- 
terest began  to  wane,  Colonel  Pope 
turned  his  attention  to  the  manufac- 
ture of  automobiles.  He  also  has  a 
large  interest  in  banks  and  other  cor- 
porations. He  's  a  member  of  the 
Loyal  Legion  and  a  visitor  to  Welles- 
ley  college,  and  the  Lawrence  scien- 


tific school.     In  1871  he  married  Ab- 
bie  Lyndon,  of  Newton,  Mass. 

C.  W.  POST. 

The  name  of  C.  W.  Post  is  identi- 
fied with  an  industry  that  has  only 
come  into  existence  within  the  past 
few  years,  but  which,  nevertheless, 
has  assumed  tremendous  proportions, 
and  is  remarkable  in  many  ways,  not 
the  least  of  which  is  that  it  puts 
cereals  to  uses  which  were  absolutely 
unknown  a  generation  ago.  Postum 
cereal  coffee,  for  example,  has  only 
been  before  the  public  since  1895.  Yet 
recently  Mr.  Post  and  his  associates 
declined  an  offer  of  ten  millions  of 
dollars  for  the  factories  which  made 
the  coffee  and  its  associated  products 
of  the  wheat  field.  Mr.  Post's  life 
story  is  that  of  a  boy  with  a  light 
purse,  boundless  ambition  and  a  de- 
termination to  reach  the  goal  of  large 
successes.  He  was  born  October  26, 
1854,  in  Springfield,  Illinois.  After  a 
common  school  education  he  entered 
the  University  of  Illinois  when  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  took  a  military 
course,  and  remained  there  until  he 
was  fifteen,  when  the  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence which  has  been  a  char- 
acteristic of  his  career  throughout  as- 
serted itself.  To  use  his  own  words, 
"I  became  weary  of  depending  on 
my  father's  money."  Leaving  the 
university,  he  obtained  a  position  with 
a  manufacturer  of  farm  machinery, 
which  he  sold  and  put  in  operation 
for  the  purchasers.  After  a  couple 
of  years  of  this  work,  he  began  busi- 
ness for  himself  in  conjunction  with 
a  partner  in  the  appropriately  named 
town  of  Independence,  Kansas.  The 
firm  dealt  in  hardware  and  farm  ma- 
chinery. But  too  little  capital  ham- 
pered his  efforts,  so  he  sold  out  and 
again  took  up  drumming.  Later  he 
became  manager  of  a  wholesale  ma- 
chinery house  in  Kansas  City.  Re- 
turning to  Illinois,  he  organized  a 


627 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


company  for  the  manufacturing  of 
plows  and  cultivators,  was  quite  suc- 
cessful, but  his  health  breaking  down, 
chaps  resulted,  and  he  lost  all  his 
savings.  After  dabbling  in  real  es- 
tate in  California,  he  ranched  in 
Texas,  fell  ill  again,  recovered,  and 
then  bought  twenty-seven  acres  of 
ground  at  Battle  Creek,  Michigan. 
Here  it  was  that  he  began  to  make 
•  the  famous  coffee,,  to  which  allusion 
has  been  made.  Here,  too,  he  ex- 
perimented with  prepared,  and  finally 
placed  upon  the  market  those  cooked 
and  semi-cooked  cereal  foods  with 
which  we  are  familiar  at  the  break- 
fast-table. The  first  year  that  the 
Post  products  were  before  the  public, 
there  was  a  profit  of  $175,000,  the 
second  year  showed  a  loss  of  over 
$40,000 — this  being  due  to  profits  be- 
ing sunk  in  advertising — and  the 
third  year  there  was  a  clear  gain  of 
$384,000.  From  that  time  on  the 
business  has  been  most  profitable.  It 
is  stated  that  the  concern  is  now  pre- 
paring to  spend  one  million  dollars  a 
year  for  advertising.  Two  years  ago 
Mr.  Post  retired  from  the  active  con- 
duct of  the  concern.  He  now  divides 
his  time  between  the  offices  in  this 
country  and  abroad,  and  the  chain  of 
factories  in  the  west.  He  is  president 
of  the  association  of  American  ad- 
vertisers, and  maintains  at  his  own 
expense  the  Post  check  currency  bu- 
reau at  Washington. 

JOHN  WILSON  WHEELER. 

John  Wilson  Wheeler,  whose  name 
is  familiar  to  every  housewife  who 
owns  or  wants  to  own  a  sewing  ma- 
chine, was  born  in  Orange,  Franklin 
county,  Massachusetts,  November  20, 
1832,  being  the  second  of  nine  chil- 
dren. He  was  the  son  of  a  carpenter- 
farmer,  and  was  educated  in  a  dis- 
trict school.  When  about  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  began  to  follow  the 
trade  of  his  father,  and  continued  to 


do  so  until  he  was  twenty-three  yean 
old.  But  he  was  not  satisfied  with 
his  narrow  surroundings,  and  so 
when  the  opportunity  came  for  him 
to  accept  a  place  in  a  little  grocery 
store  in  Fitchburg  at  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  dollars  a  year  and  his 
board  he  gladly  accepted  it.  Return- 
ing to  Orange  some  time  later,  he 
became  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  one 
Daniel  Pomeroy,  finally  succeeding 
the  latter  in  the  business,  which  he 
conducted  for  three  years  longer. 
Selling  out,  he  became  clerk  in  the 
claim  agency  of  D.  E.  Cheney,  one  of 
the  leading  men  of  the  village.  By 
this  time  he  had  established  a  reputa- 
tion for  ability  and  integrity,  and  so 
it  came  about  that  Mr.  Cheney  and 
another  of  his  friends  loaned  him 
two  thousand  dollars  on  his  personal 
security  to  buy  a  grocery  store.  The 
venture  was  successful  and  was  only 
given  up  in  1867,  in  order  that  Mr. 
Wheeler  might  become  a  partner  in 
the  firm  of  A.  E.  Johnson  &  Co.  that 
had  just  started  in  a  small  way  to 
make  sewing  machines.  After  some 
years  of  struggling  the  firm  was  turn- 
ed into  a  corporation  under  the  name 
of  the  Gold  Medal  Sewing  Machine 
Company,  Mr.  Wheeler  being  secre- 
tary and  treasurer.  In  1882  the  name 
was  again  changed  to  that  of  the  New 
Home  Sewing  Machine  Company.  Of 
this  corporation  Mr.  Wheeler  was 
vice-president,  as  well  as  secretary 
and  treasurer.  He  later  became  pres- 
ident, but  subsequently  resigned,  but 
retained  the  office  of  treasurer,  as  well 
as  being  a  member  of  the  board  of 
directors.  How  the  business  has 
grown  from  small  beginnings  to  its 
present  extensive  status  is  a  story 
that  is  familiar  to  everyone  who 
knows  somewhat  of  the  sewing  ma- 
chine industry.  The  company  em- 
ploys nearly  six  hundred  men  and 
turns  out  about  four  hundred  ma- 
chines daily.  Mr,  Wheeler  is  also 


628 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


president  of  the  Orange  savings  bank 
and  of  the  Orange  national  bank,  and 
has  been  president  of  the  Orange 
Power  company  and  the  Orange 
board  of  trade.  He  has  furthermore 
held  office  with  the  Boston  mutual 
life  insurance  company,  is  the  direc- 
tor of  the  Athol  and  Orange  City 
railway  company,  is  president  of  the 


Leabitt  Machine  company,  of  the 
Orange  good  government  club  and 
is  vice-president  of  the  Home  Market 
club.  He  married  Almira  E.  John- 
son, by  whom  he  had  three  daugh- 
ters, only  one  of  whom  survives.  He 
is  the  owner  of  much  real  estate,  and 
is  erecting  a  mansion  near  Orange  at 
the  cost  of  $150,000. 


TRANSPORTATION  LEADERS. 


GEORGE  F.  BAER. 

George  F.  Baer,  when  a  boy,  work- 
ed on  his  father's  farm  in  Somerset 
county,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  re- 
cently chosen  president  of  the  Phila- 
delphia &  Reading  and  New  Jersey 
Central  railroad  systems,  two  of  the 
most  important  transportation  cor- 
porations in  the  country.  He  is  also 
identified  with  many  enterprises  of  a 
diversified  and  extensive  nature.  He 
is  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  the 
secret  of  his  so  attaining  is  an  open 
one — he  did  not  waste  time.  Young 
Baer  attended  school  for  but  a  few 
years,  and  then  entered  the  office  of 
the  Somerset  Democrat  to  learn  the 
printing  trade.  But  he  did  not  per- 
mit himself  to  retrograde  in  his  stud- 
ies, but  instead  pored  over  books  and 
practiced  writing  at  night.  When 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  managed  to 
get  a  year's  tuition  in  the  Somerset 
academy  and  afterward  secured  a 
position  as  clerk  in  the  Ashtola  Mills, 
near  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania.  At 
the  end  of  twelve  months  he  was 
made  chief  clerk.  Resigning,  he  en- 
tered the  sophomore  class  at  Frank- 
lin and  Marshall  colleges.  Next,  and 
in  conjunction  with  his  older  brother, 
he  bought  the  Democrat.  Then  the 
war  broke  out  and  the  brother  enlist- 
ed. Mr.  Baer,  then  hardly  nineteen 
years  of  age,  ran  the  paper  alone.  In 
1862  he,  too,  got  the  war  spirit  and 
went  to  the  front.  He  was  mustered 


out  in  1863  and  forthwith  began  to 
read  law  with  his  two  brothers.  After 
practicing  in  Somerset  for  four  years, 
he  went  to  Reading,  where  he  was 
retained  by  the  attorney  of  certain 
railroads  that  were  trying  to  com- 
pete with  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading 
railroad.  The  opposing  company 
finally  decided  that  he  was  worth 
more  for  them  than  against  them  and 
so  made  him  its  legal  adviser.  From 
that  time  up  to  his  election  as  presi- 
dent of  the  corporation  he  had  been 
its  solicitor.  He  is  also  interested  in 
coal  mines,  paper  manufacture,  banks 
and  insurance  corporations,  is  mar- 
ried and  has  five  daughters. 

AUGUST  BELMONT. 

August  Belmont,  builder  of  the  New 
York  City  subway,  began  his  career 
with  the  handicap  of  great  wealth. 
His  father,  August  Belmont,  senior, 
was  one  of  the  richest  and  best  known 
American  bankers.  His  son  August 
was  graduated  from  Harvard  Uni- 
versity in  1875,  and  for  a  time  gave 
himself  up  in  large  measure  to  the 
usual  occupations  of  the  youth  of  for- 
tune. But  as  he  grew  older  he  in- 
terested himself  more  and  more  in 
the  great  banking  business  established 
by  his  father.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
years  he  became,  on  his  own  account, 
a  power  in  the  financial  world.  He 
is  now  an  officer  or  director  in  many 
banking,  railway,  manufacturing  and 


629 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


other  corporations.  In  addition  to 
these  he  has  been  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  best  art,  literary,  patriotic  and 
other  American  activities,  being  a 
member  of  numerous  associations  de- 
voted to  such  movements.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  is 
much  interested  in  the  breeding  of 
thoroughbred  race-horses.  His  most 
conspicuous  activity,  however,  has 
been  the  building  of  the  subway, 
which  has  added  so  greatly  to  the 
transportation  facilities  of  the  metro- 
polis. 

ALEXANDER  JOHNSTON  CASSATT. 

Another  railroad  man  who  has 
risen  from  a  place  of  obscurity  to  a 
position  of  prominence  is  Alexander 
Johnston  Cassatt,  who  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad 
company  since  June,  1899.  Like 
George  H.  Daniels,  of  the  New  York 
Central  railroad,  he  started  life  as  a 
rodman>  in  1861,  in  the  employ  of  the 
corporation  of  which  he  is  now  the 
head.  Mr.  Cassatt  preferred  to  begin 
at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  for  the  sake 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  primary  de- 
tails of  the  business  which  his  so  do- 
ing gave  him,  instead  of  making  use 
of  the  influence  as  he  probably  could 
have  obtained  in  order  to  assure  him 
a  less  humble  position.  He  was  born 
in  Pittsburg,  December  8,  1839,  and 
was  educated  at  the  University  of 
Heidelberg  and  the  Rensselaer  Poly- 
technique  institute.  After  his  experi- 
ences as  rodman,  by  force  of  sheer 
industry  and  integrity,  he  rose  from 
place  to  place  until,  in  1871,  he  was 
made  general  superintendent  of  the 
Pennsylvania  system  and  general 
manager  of  the  lines  east  of  Pitts- 
burg.  Between  1874  and  1882  he 
held  the  offices  of  third  vice-presi- 
dent and  second  vice-president,  was 
elected  director  in  1883  and  was  made 
president  of  the  road  in  1899.  "Thor- 
oughly ground  yourself  in  the  ele- 


mentaries  of  your  chosen  business, 
and  then  stick  to  it,"  is  Mr.  Cas- 
satt's  advice  to  young  men.  He  is  a 
thorough  believer  in  the  old  axiom 
that  "a  rolling  stone  gathers  no 
moss." 

GEORGE  HENRY  DANIELS. 

George  Henry  Daniels,  who  in  his 
capacity  of  general  passenger  agent  of 
the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson 
River  railroad,  is  probably  better 
known  personally  or  by  repute  to  the 
traveling  public,  than  any  other  man 
in  this  country,  was  born  in  Hamp- 
shire, Kane  county,  Illinois,,  Decem- 
ber I,  1842.  He  began  his  railroad 
career  as  a  rodman  in  the  engineer- 
ing corps  of  the  Northern  Missouri 
railroads,  and  from  that  humble  posi- 
tion has  risen,  not  rapidly  perhaps, 
but  slowly  and  certainly,  until  he  has 
the  passenger  transportation  responsi- 
bilities on  his  hands  of  what  is  proba- 
bly the  greatest  railroad  in  the 
United  States.  After  some  years  of 
strenuous  work,  he  became,  in  1872, 
the  general  freight  and  passenger 
agent  of  the  Chicago  and  Pacific  rail- 
road, and  in  1880  was  made  ticket 
agent  of  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  and 
Pacific  road.  After  a  number  of  va- 
ried experiences,  all  of  which  were 
in  the  west,  and  were  connected  with 
positions  of  great  responsibility,  he 
acted  as  assistant  commissioner  or 
commissioner  for  several  roads,  and 
in  April,  1889,  was  rewarded  for  his 
years  of  faithful  service  by  being  ap- 
pointed to  the  position  which  he  now 
holds.  No  small  portion  of  Mr.  Dan- 
iels's  success  is  due  to  his  personal 
tactfulness  and  unfailing  courtesy ;  or, 
as  someone  has  put  it,  he  knows  how 
to  grant  a  favor  without  placing  the 
grantee  under  an  obligation,  and  he 
knows  how  to  refuse  a  request  with- 
out offending  the  individual  who 
makes  it. 


630 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


GEORGE  JAY  GOULD. 

George  Jay  Gould,  whose  name  is 
so  generally  identified  with  high 
finance,  is  the  son  of  the  late  Jay  and 
Helen  Day  (Miller)  Gould.  He  was 
born  in  New  York  in  1858  and  re- 
ceived his  education  at  the  hands  of 
private  tutors  or  in  private  schools. 
Inheriting  a  genius  for  finance  and  an 
instinct  for  railroading,  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  successfully  conducting 
those  vast  enterprises  and  investments 
which  were  brought  into  existence  by 
his  father.  Mr.  Gould  is  an  ardent 
devotee  of  field  sports,  particularly 
those  of  which  horses  are  a  part  and 
portion.  He  married  Miss  Edith 
Kingdon,  who  was  at  one  time  a 
member  of  Augustin  Daly's  Dramatic 
Company  in  this  city.  By  her  he  has 
two  sons,  both  of  whom  are  as  fond 
of  strenuous  sports  as  is  their  father. 
Nevertheless  he  does  not  permit  his 
pastimes  to  interfere  with  his  busi- 
ness affairs,  and  is  a  familiar  figure 
in  the  financial  districts  of  New  York 
City.  He  has  been  president  of  the 
Little  Rock  and  Fort  Worth  railroad, 
Texas  and  Pacific  railroad,  Interna- 
tional and  Great  Northern  railroad, 
Manhattan  Elevated  railroad,  Mis- 
souri Pacific  railroad,  and  the  St. 
Louis  and  Iron  Mountain  and  South- 
ern railroad.  Mr.  Gould  is  a  good 
specimen  of  the  young  American  who 
does  not  let  his  great  wealth  hamper 
his  activities. 

CLEMENT  ACTON  GRISCOM. 

The  placing  of  young  men  in  posi- 
tions of  extreme  responsibility  seems 
to  be  peculiar  to  this  country.  Abroad 
such  positions  are  usually  held  by 
persons  of  mature  or  advanced  years. 
That  the  commercial  world  of  Amer- 
ica does  not  suffer  from  its  departure 
from  European  customs  in  the  re- 
spect cited  is  evidenced  by  its  com- 
mercial and  mercantile  progress.  Cle- 
ment Acton  Griscom,  Jr.,  manager  of 


the  great  American  line  of  steamers 
is  a  case  in  point.  He  was  born  in 
1868  and  graduated  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania  in  1887.  His 
father  is  Clement  Acton  Griscom,  Sr., 
president  of  the  line.  Griscom,  the 
manager,  entered  the  service  of  the 
company  the  day  following  his  last 
examination  at  college  and  two  weeks 
before  he  received  his  diploma.  He 
first  worked  as  office  boy  in  the 
freight  department  at  a  salary  of  $3.00 
per  week,  and,  as  the  story  goes,  al- 
though a  college  graduate  and  the 
son  of  the  president,  the  other  em- 
ployes treated  him  exactly  as  they  did 
the  other  boys.  His  business  prog- 
ress then  was  something  in  this  or- 
der: junior  clerk  at  $5.00  per  week; 
junior  clerk  in  the  passenger  depart- 
ment, $7.00  per  week;  clerk  in  the 
ticket  department,  dock  clerk  from  7 
a.  m.  until  6  p.  m.,  assistant  to  the 
manager  of  the  Chicago  office,  assis- 
tant to  the  general  manager  in  New 
York,  supervisor  at  the  head  of  the 
purchasing  board  steward  depart- 
ments, and  finally  manager.  It  will 
be  seen  that  young  Griscom  had  to 
"hoe  his  own  row"  completely,  and, 
although  at  the  time  he,  like  the  ordi- 
nary boy,  objected  to  so  doing,  he 
now  recognizes  the  wisdom  of  his 
father  in  compelling  him  to  learn  all 
there  was  to  be  learned.  Under  Mr. 
Griscom's  management,  the  American 
Line  flourishes.  He  is  also  president 
of  the  James  Riley  repair  and  supply 
company,  a  director  of  the  Maritime 
Exchange  and  is  interested  in  a  num- 
ber of  other  enterprises.  He  married 
the  daughter  of  General  William  Lud- 
low,  and  his  friends  say  that  his 
home  life  has  had  a  determining  in- 
fluence on  his  career  in  general. 

JAMES  J.  HILL. 

Intimates  of  James  J.  Hill,  the 
transportation  giant  of  the  northwest, 
say  that  the  ambition  of  his  life  is  to 


631 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


encircle  the  world  with  a  system  of 
railroads  and  steamships,  all  of  which 
shall  be  under  his  guiding  hand.  He 
has  nearly  attained  it.  He  owns  the 
Great  Northern  railway,  which 
stretches  from  Seattle,  Washington, 
to  St  Paul  and  Duluth,  Minnesota. 
He  is  proprietor  of  the  line  of  steam- 
ers which  ply  between  Duluth  and 
Buffalo.  He  is  largely  interested  in 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad,  which 
covers  the  territory  between  Chicago, 
Philadelphia  and  New  York.  He  is 
organizing,  in  Europe,  a  steamship 
company  whose  vessels  shall  have  for 
their  terminal  ports  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington, on  the  one  side,  and  Vladivo- 
stok, Yokohama  and  Hong  Kong  on 
the  other.  He  is  now  reaching  out 
across  the  Pacific  to  Seattle,  intend- 
ing to  connect  his  Great  Northern 
road  with  the  Trans-Siberian  road, 
and  the  man  who  controls  all  these 
huge  enterprises  earned  them  from 
humble  beginnings,  and  asserts  that 
the  principle  that  has  enabled  him 
to  reach  power  and  affluence  is  simply 
that  of  economy.  When  he  earned 
five  dollars  a  week  he  saved;  now 
that  he  is  the  owner  of  an  income  the 
size  of  which  he  can  hardly  pass  upon, 
he  saves,  not  in  miserly  fashion,  but 
he  detests  unnecessary  expenditure. 
Mr.  Hill  was  born  nearGuelph,  Upper 
Canada,  September  16,  1838.  He  was 
educated  at  Rockwood  academy  and 
started  life  in  a  steamboat  office  in 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  Hard  and  con- 
tinuous work  brought  its  reward  in 
the  shape  of  his  being  made  agent  for 
the  Northwestern  Packet  company  in 
1865.  Then  he  branched  out  for  him- 
self, establishing  a  fuel  and  transpor- 
tation business  on  his  own  account. 
From  that  time  on  his  rise  was  rapid. 
He  founded  the  Red  River  Transpor- 
tation company,  1875;  organized  the 
syndicate  which  secured  control  of  the 
St.  Paul  and  Pacific  railroad,  became 
the  president  of  the  organized  road 


and  finally  merged  it  with  other  lines 
into  the  Great  Northern  system  of 
which  he  is  now  president.  Mr.  Hill 
is  married  and  has  several  sons,  all 
of  whom  are  following  the  railroad 
business. 

MELVILLE  EZRA  INGALLS. 

One  of  the  many  railroad  presi- 
dents who  began  life  on  a  farm  is 
Melville  Ezra  Ingalls.  He  was  born 
at  Harrison,  Maine,  September  6, 
1842.  Brought  up  on  his  father's 
farm,  he  had  his  full  share  of  hard 
work  during  boyhood.  He  was  first 
educated  at  Burlington  academy,  later 
at  Bowdoin  college,  and  graduated 
from  the  Harvard  law  school  in  1863. 
Establishing  himself  in  practice  in 
Gray,  Maine,  he  soon  found  that  the 
village  was  too  small  for  his  hopes 
and  ambitions,  so  he  removed  to  Bos- 
ton. There  he  became  identified  with 
political  affairs  and  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Massachusetts  senate 
in  1867.  In  1870  he  was  made  the 
president  of  the  Indianapolis,  Cincin- 
nati and  Lafayette  railroad,  which 
was  then  in  a  bankrupt  condition.  A 
year  later  he  was  made  receiver  for 
the  road.  Then  it  was  that  Mr.  In- 
galls' genius  for  railroading  began  to 
show  itself.  With  the  aid  of  the  or- 
ganization in  1873  and  1880,  he  put 
the  successor  of  the  road,  which  was 
the  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  St.  Louis 
and  Chicago,  on  a  sound  footing,  sub- 
sequently consolidating  it  with  other 
roads  under  its  final  title  of  the 
Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis  railroad,  now  known  as  the 
"Big  Four"  system.  Mr.  Ingalls  is 
president  of  the  road,  and  up  to  Feb- 
ruary, 1900,  was  also  president  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad.  Mr. 
Ingalls'  successes  have  left  him  the 
same  charitable,  genial  and  approach- 
able individual  that  he  was  when  a 
struggling  lawyer  in  a  little  village  in 
Maine. 


632 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


INVENTORS. 


ALEXANDER  GRAHAM  BELL. 

Alexander  Graham  Bell,  whose 
name  is  so  clearly  associated  with  the 
invention  and  the  development  of 
the  telephone,  was  born  in  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  March  3,  1847.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Edinburgh  and  Lon- 
don universities,  and  on  graduating 
went  to  Canada  in  1870,  in  which 
country  he  spent  two  years  endeavor- 
ing to  decide  on  a  vocation.  Later  he 
located  in  Boston,  where  he  became 
professor  of  vocal  physiology  at  the 
Boston  university.  It  was  during  this 
period  that  he  became  interested  in 
and  made  an  exhaustive  series  of  ex- 
periments culminating  in  an  applica- 
tion for  a  patent  which  was  granted 
February  14,  1876.  The  history  of  the 
invention,  which  is  second  in  impor- 
tance only  to  the  electric  telegraph,  is 
well  known  to  the  public.  Without 
going  into  details,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  that  Mr.  Bell,  like  all  other 
successful  inventors,  had  to  face  and 
overcome  the  popular  prejudices,,  and 
had  to  protect  his  rights  in  the  courts 
through  interminable  law  suits.  The 
place  that  the  telephone  fills  in  the 
social  and  commercial  economy  of  the 
world  to-day  is  also  too  well  known 
to  need  emphasis.  Professor  Bell  is 
also  the  inventor  of  the  photophone, 
and  is  interested  in  the  current  scien- 
tific efforts  of  the  American  associa- 
tion to  promote  the  teaching  of 
the  deaf  and  dumb.  Scientific  honors 
have  been  showered  upon  him  in  con- 
nection with  his  inventions.  In  1881 
the  French  government  awarded  him 
the  Volta  prize,  and  he  is  the  founder 
of  the  Volta  bureau.  He  is  also  the 
author  of  many  scientific  and  educa- 
tional monographs. 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  BRUSH. 

The  development  and  general  use 


of  the  "arc"  electric  light  is  to  a  very 
great  extent  the  outcome  of  the  re- 
searches of  Charles  F.  Brush.  While 
the  "arc"  was  by  no  means  unknown 
to  electricians  prior  to  Mr.  Brush's 
development  of  it,  it  was  he  who  was 
responsible  for  its  becoming  a  com- 
mercial possibility.  Mr.  Brush  was 
born  in  Euclid.,  Cuyahoga  county, 
Ohio,  March  17,  1849.  His  father 
was  Colonel  Isaac  Elbert  Brush,  his 
mother  being  Delia  Wissner  (Phil- 
lips) Brush.  Both  parents  came  from 
old  lines  of  American  families.  After 
periods  spent  in  public  schools  in 
Ohio,  Mr.  Brush  attended  the  Cleve- 
land high  school  and  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Michigan  in  1869. 
From  the  first  he  displayed  a  fond- 
ness for  electricity  and  chemistry,  and 
subsequent  to  his  graduating  became 
an  analytical  chemist  and  consulting 
chemical  expert  in  Cleveland.  All 
this  time,  however,  he  was  studying 
electricity,  foreseeing  the  time  when  it 
would  be  one  of  the  chief  factors 
of  modern  civilization.  In  1877  he 
devoted  himself  entirely  to  electrical 
affairs  and  a  year  later  presented  to 
the  public  the  light  with  which  his 
name  is  identified.  In  1880  the  Brush 
Electric  Company  was  formed  and 
the  "arc"  light  grew  in  favor.  A 
year  later  it  was  introduced  into  Eng- 
land and  on  the  continent.  Neverthe- 
less Mr.  Brush  had  the  usual  experi- 
ence of  inventors,  but  was  successful 
in  litigation  and  has  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  his  claims  of  priority 
of  invention  have  been  recognized  by 
the  leading  scientific  societies  in  the 
world.  He  is  interested  in  a  number 
of  electrical  enterprises,  is  a  member 
of  many  clubs  and  scientific  and 
charitable  institutions.  In  1875  he 
married  Mary  E.  Morris,  of  Cleve- 
land, by  whom  he  has  three  children. 


633 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


SANTOS  DUMONT. 

Santos  Dumont,  who  has  attained 
world  wide  publicity  in  connection 
with  his  daring  and  novel  experi- 
ments in  aerostatics,  is  still  a  young 
man.  He  was  born  in  Brazil  in  1873 
and  is  of  French  ancestry,  although 
his  father  was  also  a  Brazilian  by 
birth.  The  Santos  Dumont  planta- 
tions at  San  Paulo  are  said  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  country  in  question,  so 
large  indeed  that  a  small  railroad 
runs  around  it,  which  is  used  for  the 
transportation  of  labor  and  products. 
At  an  early  age  Santos  Dumont  de- 
veloped a  taste  for  mechanics  and  the 
railroad  was  his  constant  study  and 
delight.  When  still  a  boy  he  was 
sent  to  France  to  be  educated,  and  in 
that  country,  some  thirteen  years 
since,  began  to  experiment  with  auto- 
mobiles, abandoning  them,  however, 
in  1893,  for  aerostatics.  His  first 
ascents  were  made  in  spherical  bal- 
loons, but  he  quickly  adopted  those 
of  cylindrical  form.  He  has  practi- 
cally invented  the  dirigible  balloon  of 
to-day  through  the  medium  of  his 
ingenious  arrangement  of  screws,  rud- 
ders, motors,  cars,  shifting  weights, 
etc.  He  was  the  first  to  give  up  the 


net  and  attach  his  car  to  the  balloon 

itself.     On  July   12,   1901,  he  sailed  JOHN  p.  HOLLAND. 


Cooper,  the  philanthropist.  Mr. 
Hewitt  was  born  in  New  York  city 
in  1861,  his  father  being  Abram  Ste- 
vens Hewitt,  who  held  the  office  of 
mayor  of  the  metropolis  from  1887 
to  1889.  After  being  educated  by 
private  tutors,  he  entered  the  Colum- 
bia university,  New  York  city,  and 
on  graduating  therefrom  studied  for 
some  years  in  a  technical  school  in 
New  Jersey.  Afterward  he  became 
connected  with  the  glue  factory  es- 
tablished by  his  grandfather  and  own- 
ed by  his  father.  But  that  bent  to- 
ward scientific  investigations  which 
seems  to  have  been  born  in  him, 
prompted  him  to  devote  himself  to 
experimental  work  in  the  laboratory. 
A  portion  of  the  result  of  such  work 
has  already  been  alluded  to.  There 
are  not  wanting  indications  that  the 
electric  light  devised  by  Mr.  Hewitt 
will,  to  a  very  great  extent,  take  the 
place  of  that  now  furnished  by  the 
arc  or  incandescent  filament.  It  is 
described  as  "soft  sunlight."  Mr. 
Hewitt  is  married,  his  wife  being 
Lucy,  daughter  of  the  late  Frank 
Work.  He  is  popular  socially,  and  his 
private  charities  prove  that  he  has 
inherited  his  grandfather's  great- 
heartedness  to  no  small  degree. 


from  St.  Cloud  to  the  Eiffel  Tower 
and  around  in  Paris.  He  has  made 
over  half  a  dozen  machines  and  is  en- 
gaged on  others.  During  his  experi- 
ments he  has  had  more  than  one  nar- 
row escape  from  death,  but  these 
have  had  little  or  no  effect  upon  his 
nerve  or  his  enthusiasm. 

PETER  COOPER  HEWITT. 

Peter  C.  Hewitt — who  is  much  in 
the  eye  of  the  scientific  world  by  rea- 
son of  his  invention  of  an  electric 
"converter"  and  his  discovery  of  a 
wonderful  method  of  electric  light- 
ing—is the  grandson  of  the  late  Peter 


John  P.  Holland,  the  inventor  of 
the  submarine  boat  which  bears  hi? 
name,  is  an  Irishman  by  birth.  He 
is  now  about  sixty  years  of  age,  hale, 
hearty  and  devoted  to  the  task  of 
improving  the  wonderful  craft  of 
which  he  is  the  creator.  Mr.  Holland 
reached  this  country  early  in  the  7o's, 
but  long  before  that  he  had  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  much  of  the  naval 
warfare  of  the  future  would  be  done 
beneath  the  water  rather  than  on  its 
surface.  He  states  that  his  convictions 
in  this  respect  were  the  outcome  of  a 
newspaper  account  of  the  fight  be- 
tween the  Monitor  and  Merrimac, 


634 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


which  he  read  about  two  weeks  after 
the  occurrence  of  that  historical  con- 
flict. From  that  time  on,  he  began  to 
form  plans  and  make  models  for  sub- 
marine torpedo  boats  or  destroyers. 
He  not  only  had  to  contend  with 
great  mechanical  difficulties,  but  even 
when  his  boat  was  so  far  perfected 
that  it  could  be  submitted  to  the 
authorities,  he  encountered  prejudices 
and  opposition  of  the  strongest.  As 
the  matter  now  stands,  the  most  con- 
servative of  naval  experts  have  be- 
come convinced  of  the  importance  of 
the  Holland  submarine,  that,  too,  not 
only  in  this  country  but  abroad.  The 
United  States  now  owns  a  number 
of  the  boats,  as  does  Great  Britain. 
Mr.  Holland,  when  he  first  came  to 
this  country,  was  a  school  teacher, 
and,  like  the  majority  of  inventors 
who  are  not  capitalists,  had  a  hard 
time  of  it  for  many  years.  He  was 
at  length  fortunate  enough  to  inter- 
est some  moneyed  men  in  his  inven- 
tion and  was  enabled  to  devote  him- 
self entirely  to  it.  It  is  said  that  his 
creations  provide  for  every  contin- 
gency, both  above  and  below  water. 
It  was  only  after  prolonged  tests  of 
their  efficiency  that  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment added  them  to  the  navy. 

WILLIAM  MARCONI. 

This  is  eminently  the  age  of  young 
men,  and  William  Marconi  is  a  case 
in  point.  He  was  born  at  Marza- 
botto,  Italy,  September  23,  1875,  his 
father  being  an  Italian  and  his  mother 
an  Englishwoman.  After  being  edu- 
cated at  the  universities  of  Bologna 
and  Padua,  he,  at  a  very  early  age, 
began  to  evidence  a  liking  for  scien- 
tific pursuits.  Happily  for  the  world 
at  large,  Marconi's  father  was  so 
placed  financially  that  he  could  per- 
mit of  his  son  following  his  inclina- 
tions to  the  utmost.  After  some  pre- 
liminary work,  young  Marconi  insti- 
tuted a  series  of  experiments  in  or- 


der to  test  the  theory,  which  at  that 
time  was  a  theory  only,  that  electric 
currents  under  certain  conditions  are 
able  to  pass  through  any  known  sub- 
stance. The  result  was  that  when 
but  fifteen  years  of  age  he  invented 
an  apparatus  for  wireless  telegraphy, 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  Sir 
William  Henry  Preece,  engineer  and 
electrician-in-chief  of  the  English 
postal  service.  The  apparatus  was 
tested  in  England  and  with  success. 
For  the  next  few  years  Marconi  was 
engaged  in  perfecting  his  system. 
Public  attention  was  called  to  his  fur- 
ther successes  in  1897  by  messages 
being  sent  from  Queen  Victoria  on 
land  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  (now 
King  Edward),  some  miles  distant 
on  the  Royal  yacht.  Later  the  Brit- 
ish government  engaged  Marconi  tc 
install  a  number  of  wireless  stations 
around  the  southern  coast  of  Eng- 
land, and  from  that  time  on,  wireless 
telegraphy  has  become  an  accepted 
fact  with  civilized  governments  all 
the  world  over.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1889,  where  he  made  more 
experiments  and  organized  and  in- 
corporated a  company  for  the  com- 
mercial use  of  his  methods.  At  the 
present  writing  messages  have  been 
successfully  sent  between  England 
and  America,  a  greater  number  of 
liners  are  equipped  with  the  Marconi 
apparatus,  and  the  same  remark  ap- 
plies to  the  warships  of  the  United 
States  and  European  powers. 

GEORGE  WESTINGHOUSE. 

George  Westrnghouse  was  born  at 
Central  Bridge,  New  York,  October 
6,  1846.  Ten  years  later  his  parents 
removed  to  Schenectady,  where  he 
was  educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools,  spending  much  of  his  time  in 
his  father's  machine-shop.  During 
the  Civil  war  he  served  in  the  Union 
army.  At  its  close  he  attended  Union 
college,  Schenectady,  for  two  years. 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


In  1865  he  invented  the  device  for  re- 
placing railroad  cars  on  the  track. 
In  1868  he  invented  and  successfully 
introduced  the  Westinghouse  air- 
brake. From  time  to  time  he  has 
modified  and  improved  this,  one  of 
the  most  notable  of  his  inventions. 
He  is  also  the  inventor  of  many  other 
devices  connected  with  railroads, 
such  as  signals,  automatic  and  other- 
wise, electric  devices  of  several  sorts 
and  other  things  which  make  for  the 
efficiency  of  transportation  in  gen- 
eral. He  is  the  president  of  twelve 
corporations,  a  member  of  many 
scientific  societies,  and  is  also  the  re- 


cipient of  medals  and  decorations 
from  the  king  of  Italy,  the  king  of 
Belgium  and  other  European  nota- 
bles. It  is  not  top  much  to  say  that 
without  the  Westinghouse  inventions 
railroading  as  we  know  of  it  to-day 
would  hardly  be  possible.  Apart  from 
adding  much  to  the  safety  of  railroad 
travel,  the  Westinghouse  brake  per- 
mits paradoxically  enough  of  speeds 
being  attained  which  would  not  be 
possible  under  old-time  conditions. 
Mr.  Westinghouse's  inventive  genius 
has  been  largely  rewarded  in  a  finan- 
cial manner. 


MERCHANTS. 


EDWARD   COOPER. 

Edward  Cooper,  one  of  the  more 
prominent  merchants  of  New  York, 
was  born  October  26th,  1824.  He  is 
the  son  of  Peter  Cooper,  the  philan- 
thropist, and,  like  his  father,,  has, 
during  the  course  of  a  busy  life, 
done  much  for  the  well  being  of  the 
people  of  the  municipality  in  which 
he  lives.  Mr.  Cooper  was  educated 
in  New  York  public  schools  and  is  a 
graduate  of  Columbia  university. 
Throughout  his  life  he  has  been  more 
or  less  active  in  New  York  political 
affairs,  and,  while  a  consistent  Demo- 
crat, has  had  no  hesitation  in  put- 
ting principle  before  party.  He  was 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  successful 
movement  which  overthrew  the  infa- 
mous Tweed  ring.  From  1879  to 
1881  he  was  mayor  of  New  York  and 
added  to  his  reputation  by  the  hon- 
esty and  energy  of  his  administra- 
tion. Mr.  Cooper  is  associated  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Abram  S.  Hewitt, 
in  the  conduct  of  the  Trenton  Iron 
Works,  New  Jersey  Steel  Works  and 
other  enterprises  of  a  like  nature.  He 
is  a  good  example  of  the  man  who 
does  not  permit  his  business  affairs 


or  his  wealth  to  interfere  with  his 
obligations  as  a  citizen. 

ROBERT  CURTIS  OGDEN. 

Robert  Curtis  Ogden  was  born  at 
Philadelphia,  July  2Oth,  1836,  and  is 
the  son  of  the  late  Jonathan  Curtis 
Ogden.  He  was  educated  in  private 
schools  in  the  city  of  his  birth.  On 
March  ist,  1860,  he  married  Ellen 
Elizabeth  Lewis,  of  Brooklyn.  Since 
1885  he  has  been  a  partner  in  the 
firm  of  John  Wanamaker.  His  busi- 
ness acumen,  as  well  as  his  bent  to- 
ward philanthropic  and  religious 
work,  has  eminently  fitted  him  to 
hold  the  responsible  position  which 
he  occupies  in  the  firm's  affairs.  In 
spite  of  the  many  commercial  duties 
which  are  part  and  portion  of  Mr. 
Ogden's  every-day  life,  he  neverthe- 
less finds  time  to  attend  to  the  many 
philanthropic  enterprises  in  which  he 
is  interested.  In  1889  he  acted  as  a 
member  of  the  State  Johnstown  Flood 
Relief  Commission,,  which  accom- 
plished much  in  the  way  of  relieving 
the  sufferers  from  the  disaster  in 
question.  He  is  also  a  director  of 
the  Union  Hill  Theological  seminary, 


636 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


trustee  of  the  Tuskegee  Institute  of 
Alabama  and  is  first  vice-president  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  New 
York.  Mr.  Ogden  takes  an  active 
part  in  church  matters  and  is  the 
author  of  several  books  and  pam- 
phlets, including  "Pew  Rentals  and 
the  New  Testament — Can  They  Be 
Reconciled?"  "Sunday  School  Teach- 
ing," etc.  As  a  contributor  to  the 
magazines,  he  is  well  known,  some  of 
the  articles  from  his  pen  which  have 
attracted  much  attention  being  "Get- 
ting and  Keeping  a  Business  Posi- 
tion" and  "Ethics  of  Modern  Retail- 
ing." Mr.  Ogden  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  the  young 
people  employed  by  him  and  his 
partners. 

HENRY  SIEGEL. 

Henry  Siegel,  whose  name  is  iden- 
tified with  those  huge  so-called  de- 
partment stores,  which  are  cities  of 
commerce  inclosed  within  four  walls, 
was  born  March  17,  1852,  at  Enbig- 
hein,  Germany.  His  father  was  the 
burgomaster  of  the  village,  and  he 
himself  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight 
children.  Two  of  his  brothers,  on 
attaining  manhood,  came  to  this 
country  and  were  fairly  prosperous. 
The  letters  that  they  sent  home  acted 
as  fuel  to  the  ambitions  of  Henry, 
and  so  when  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  sailed  for  America,  and  obtained 
a  position  in  Washington,  District  of 
Columbia,  in  a  dry  goods  house  at  a 
salary  of  three  dollars  per  week.  By 
dint  of  hard  study  at  night  schools 
he  managed  to  get  a  fair  English 
education  and  next  became  traveler 
for  a  clothing  house.  After  some 
years  of  hard  work,  he  and  his  broth- 
ers began  business  for  themselves  in 
Chicago  and  fortune  followed  their 
efforts.  In  1887  he  founded  the 
well-known  firm  of  S'iegel,  Cooper  & 
Co.,  of  Chicago,  again  prospered,  and 
in  1896,  together  with  his  partners, 


opened  a  vast  store  on  Sixth  avenue, 
New  York.  In  1901  he  sold  out  his 
interest  in  the  New  York  enterprise, 
but  immediately  acquired  the  old- 
established  firm  of  Simpson,  Craw- 
ford &  Co.  He  simultaneously  dis- 
posed of  his  interest  in  the  Chicago 
concern.  A  year  later  he  bought  a 
half-interest  in  the  firm  of  Schlessin- 
ger  &  Mayer,  of  Chicago.  Not  con- 
tent with  these  undertakings,  early  in 
1903,  he  began  to  build  a  store  at 
Thirty-fourth  street  and  Broadway, 
New  York,  and  also  purchased  an 
entire  block  in  Boston  on  which  he 
proposes  to  erect  a  building  which 
shall  dwarf  those  of  which  he  is 
already  the  owner.  And  so  the  little 
German  who  began  life  as  an  errand 
boy  is  now  one  of  the  merchant 
princes  of  America. 

FRANK  W.  WOOLWORTH. 

Frank  W.  Woolworth  was  born  at 
Rodman,  New  York,  April  I&  1852. 
He  passed  his  boyhood  on  his  pa- 
rents' farm,  was  educated  at  a  district 
school,  and  graduated  from  the  Com- 
mercial college  at  Watertown,  New 
York.  His  start  in  life  was  as  a  clerk 
in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Watertown. 
In  1878  he  originated  the  popular  five 
and  ten-cent  store,  which,  thanks  to 
his  energy  and  acumen,  has  attained 
such  marvelous  popularity.  His  em- 
ployers, Moore  &  Smith,  at  his  sug- 
gestion, bought  $50  worth  of  the 
cheapest  sort  of  goods  and  put  them 
with  other  old  shop-worn  goods  on 
the  counter,  displaying  the  sign  "Any 
article  on  this  counter  five  cents." 
The  stock  was  sold  the  first  day,  and 
Mr.  Woolworth  then  decided  to  have 
a  five  and  ten-cent  store  of  his  own. 
Borrowing  $325,  he  opened  a  place  in 
Utica,  New  York.  The  public  patron- 
ized him  and  at  the  end  of  six  weeks 
he  had  a  net  profit  of  $139.50.  In 
1869  he  removed  to  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania,, where  he  opened  a  store, 


637 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


and  next  another  a*  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania.  Both  of  these  ventures 
were  successful  and  he  now  has  stores 
in  nearly  every  large  city  in  the  coun- 
try, there  being  eight  of  such  in  New 
York  alone.  He  was  married,  in 
1876,  to  Jennie,  daughter  of  Thomas 


Creighton,  of  Pictou,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, and  has  three  daughters.  Mr. 
Woolworth's  career  is  a  practical 
commentary  on  the  value  of  the 
maxim  that  it  is  unwise  to  "despise 
the  day  of  small  things." 


FINANCIERS. 


WILLIAM  WALDORF  ASTOR. 

William  Waldorf  Astor,  the  capi- 
talist and  author,  born  in  New  York 
city,  March  31,  1848  is  the  son  of  the 
noted  John  Jacob  and  Charlotte  Au- 
gusta (Gibbs)  Astor.  He  was  edu- 
cated chiefly  by  private  tutors,  among 
whom  was  a  professor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Marburg.  At  the  age  of 
23  he  was  taken  into  the  offices  of  the 
Astor  estate  in  order  to  master  the 
details  of  each  department.  Recog- 
nizing the  need  of  a  thorough  legal 
education,  he  studied  for  two  years  in 
the  Columbia  Law  School,  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  May,  1875.  His 
father  being  convinced  of  the  son's 
exceptional  business  ability,  subse- 
quently gave  him  absolute  control 
over  all  of  his  property.  In  1877  Mr. 
Astor  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
New  York  state  legislature  from  the 
Eleventh  Assembly  District,  defeat- 
ing the  Tammany  Hall  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Democratic  candidates.  In 
1879  he  was  elected  to  the  state  sen- 
ate and  in  1881  was  nominated  for 
congress  in  the  district  formerly  rep- 
resented by  Levi  P.  Morton,  but  was 
defeated  by  Roswell  P.  Flower.  In 
August,  1882,  President  Chester  A. 
Arthur  appointed  Mr.  Astor  Minister 
to  Italy.  While  in  Rome  he  spent 
much  time  in  studying  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  country,  and  on  returning 
home,  in  1885,  published  his  novel, 
Valentino,  which  embodies  his  re- 
searches in  the  mediaeval  history  of 
Italy.  His  later  novel,  Sforza,  also 


deals  with  Italy  in  the  Middle  Ages. 
Mr.  Astor  has  built  the  New  Nether- 
lands hotel,  on  Fifth  avenue  and 
Fifty-ninth  street,  New  York  city, 
and  Hotel  Waldorf  Astoria,  the  lat- 
ter on  the  site  of  the  old  Astor  resi- 
dence. In  September,  1890,  Mr.  Astor 
moved  to  London,  England,  where 
he  has  entered  upon  a  notable  career 
in  journalism.  He  now  owns  the 
Pall  Mall  Gazette,  and  has  founded 
the  Pall  Mall  Magazine.  He  is  and 
has  been  a  stockholder  and  director 
in  several  American  railroads.  He 
has  other  interests  outside  of  his  vast 
real  estate  holdings.  On  June  6, 
1878,  he  was  married  to  Mary  Dahl- 
gren,  daughter  of  James  W.  Paul,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  Mrs.  Astor  died  in 
1894- 

HENRY  CLEWS. 

When  the  long-sought-for  oppor- 
tunity to  become  a  banker  came  to 
the  ambitious  young  man,  now  the 
financier,  Henry  Clews,  he  did  not 
let  his  chances  pass  him.  He  was 
born  in  Staffordshire,  England,  Au- 
gust 14,  1840,  coming  of  a  good  old 
English  family.  His  father,  an  able 
business  man,  intended  Henry  for  the 
ministry  of  the  Established  Church 
of  England.  But  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
the  boy,  visiting  America  with  his 
father,  became  so  interested  in  the 
country  and  its  people  that  he  gave 
up  all  idea  of  becoming  a  clergyman, 
and,  with  his  parents'  consent,  set- 
tled in  the  United  States.  His  first 


638 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


position  in  this  country  was  as  a 
clerk  with  an  importing  firm,  in 
which  he  rose  to  a  position  of  re- 
sponsibility. In  1859  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Stout,  Clews 
&  Mason,  which  subsequently  became 
Livermore,  Clews  &  Co.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War  Secretary 
Chase  invited  him  to  become  agent 
for  selling  government  bonds.  His 
unfaltering  faith  in  their  worth  was 
shown  by  his  subscribing  to  the  Na- 
tional loan  at  the  rate  of  five  million 
or  ten  million  dollars  per  day,  even 
going  into  debt  by  borrowing  on  the 
bonds.  This  materially  strengthened 
the  public  confidence  in  the  govern- 
ment's course  of  action.  When  Mr. 
Chase  was  congratulated  upon  his 
success  in  placing  the  war  loans,  he 
said :  "I  deserve  no  credit ;  had  it 
not  been  for  the  exertion  of  Jay 
Cooke  and  Henry  Clews  I  could 
never  have  succeeded."  Mr.  Clews 
founded  and  organized  the  famous 
"Committee  of  Seventy"  that  success- 
fully disposed  of  the  "Tweed  Ring." 
After  the  Civil  War,  besides  estab- 


lishing a  distinctive  banking  business, 
he  became  one  of  the  largest  negotia- 
tors of  railroad  loans  in  America  or  T 
Europe.     The  present  firm  of  Henry  J°HN  PIEKPONT  MORGAN. 


Hetty  Green,  is  like  the  majority  of 
wealthy  persons,  not  only  able  to 
keep,  but  to  increase  her  riches.  Her 
genius  for  finance  is  admittedly  equal 
to  that  possessed  by  any  of  those 
individuals  whose  names  are  identi- 
fied with  vast  and  progressive 
wealth.  She  was  born  November  21, 
!835,  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  her 
maiden  name  being  Hetty  Howland 
Robinson.  Not  long  after  her  birth 
her  father,  Edward  Mott  Robinson, 
died,  leaving  her  a  large  fortune.  She 
was  educated  at  the  Mrs.  Lowell's 
school  in  Boston.  In  1876  she  mar- 
ried E.  H.  Green,  of  New  York  City. 
From  thence  on  she  began  that  finan- 
cial career  which  has  made  her  fa- 
mous. Mrs.  Green  is  said  to  be  in- 
terested in  nearly  every  large  cor- 
poration all  over  the  world.  She  also 
has  large  real  estate  holdings  in  a 
number  of  cities  in  this  country,  and 
is  interested  in  many  enterprises  of 
a  general  nature.  She  personally 
manages  her  business  affairs,  and  is 
a  familiar  figure  in  Wall  Street,  and 
"downtown"  New  York.  Her  for- 
mula for  getting  rich  is  that  "Econ- 
omy is  the  secret  of  making  money." 


Clews  &  Co.  was  established  in  1877, 
its  members  pledging  themselves 
never  to  take  any  speculative  risks. 
Mr.  Clews  has  for  many  years  been 
treasurer  of  the  "Society  for  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  Animals."  and  is 
also  connected  with  many  city  insti- 
tutions and  financial  corporations. 
He  married  Lucy  Madison,  of 
Worthington,  Kentucky,  a  grand- 
niece  of  ex-President  Madison.  He 
is  a  frequent  contributor  to  news- 
papers and  magazines  and  the  author 
of  Twenty-eight  Years  in  Wall 
Street. 


MRS.  HETTY  GREEN. 
America's     richest 


woman,     Mrs. 


John  Pierpont  Morgan  was  born  at 
Hartford,  Conn.,  April  17,  1837.  His 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
John  Pierpont,  a  noted  clergyman, 
poet,  author  and  temperance  worker. 
He  was  educated  at  the  English  high 
school  at  Boston  and  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Gottingen,  Germany,  from 
whence  he  graduated  in  i'857.  On 
returning  to  the  United  States  he  be- 
came associated  with  the  banking 
house  of  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.,  of 
New  York  city.  In  1860  he  severed 
his  connection  with  that  firm  and  be- 
gan business  for  himself.  In  1864  he 
formed  the  firm  of  Dabney,  Morgan 
&  Co.  Meantime  he  had  become  rep- 
resentative of  the  house  of  George 


639 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


Peabody  &  Co.,  of  London,  and  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  was  able, 
through  this  connection,  to  render 
substantial  assistance  to  the  Federal 
government  In  1871  he  organized 
the  firm  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co., 
and  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Drexel,  in 
1893,  he  became  senior  partner.  In 
1895  the  firm  title  was  changed  to  J. 
P.  Morgan  &  Co.  He  is  also  head 
of  the  firms  of  J.  P.  Morgan  &  Co., 
of  London ;  Morgan,  Hayes  &  Co.,  of 
Paris,  and  Drexel  &  Co.,  of  Philadel- 
phia. Mr.  Morgan  is  generally  known 
as  the  "King  of  Trust  Magnates,"  on 
account  of  his  having  engineered  so 
many  mercantile  and  financial  con- 
solidations; in  fact,  he  has  been  in- 
strumental in  forming  the  majority  of 
the  great  corporations  or  trusts.  He 
gives  large  sums  to  charity,  is  a  lib- 
eral patron  of  art,  and  is  a  member  of 
all  the  leading  clubs  of  New  York 
and  other  cities.  In  1865  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Frances  Louise,  daughter  of 
John  Tracy.  He  has  one  son,  John 
Pierpont  Morgan,  Jr.,  and  three 
daughters.  Mr.  Morgan's  vast  opera- 
tions are  not  confined  to  this  country. 
He  is  an  active  power  in  English  and 
Continental  financial  circles. 

JOHN  DAVISON  ROCKEFELLER. 

The  owner  of  what  is  believed  to 
be  the  largest  individual  income  in 
the  world  began  his  business  life  as 
a  poorly  paid  clerk  in  a  small  provin- 
cial firm.  John  Davison  Rockefeller 
was  born  at  Richford,  New  York,  on 
July  8th,  1839.  He  was  educated  in 
the  local  public  schools.  In  1853  his 
parents  moved  to  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
where,  while  still  a  boy,  he  obtained 
a  position  as  clerk  in  a  general  com- 
mission house.  When  nineteen  he 
went  into  business  for  himself  by  be- 
coming a  partner  in  the  firm  of 
Clark  &  Rockefeller,  general  com- 
mission merchants.  Subsequently  the 
firm  admitted  another  partner,  and 


under  the  title  of  Andrews,  Clark  & 
Co.,  engaged  in  the  oil  business.  Its 
so  doing,  so  it  is  said,,  was  due  to  the 
sagacity  of  Mr.  Rockefeller,  who  was 
one  of  the  few  men  of  the  period  who 
recognized  the  future  and  gigantic 
possibilities  of  the  oil  industry.  Later 
changes  were  made  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  firm,  and  in  1865,  under 
the  name  of  William  Rockefeller  & 
Co.,  it  built  the  Standard  Oil  Works 
at  Cleveland.  In  1870  the  works 
were  consolidated  with  others  and 
were  then  known  as  the  Standard  Oil 
Company.  From  time  to  time  other 
oil  interests  were  acquired,  and  in 
1882  all  were  merged  into  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Trust.  Ten  years  later,  how- 
ever, the  trust  was  dissolved,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  the 
various  companies  of  which  it  was 
composed  are  operated  separately, 
with  Mr.  Rockefeller  at  the  head  of 
the  business  as  a  whole. 

CHARLES  TYSON  YERKES. 

The  Yerkes  family  is  of  Dutch 
origin,  and  Charles  Tyson  Yerkes 
was  born  June  25,  1837,  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania.  He  was  educated 
at  the  Friends'  School  and  the  Cen- 
tral High  School  in  his  native  city, 
and  entered  business  life  as  clerk  in 
a  flour  and  grain  commission  house. 
He  worked  without  salary,  since,  in 
those  days,  it  was  counted  a  privi- 
lege to  be  connected  with  first-class 
houses.  Because  of  his  close  atten- 
tion to  his  duties  he  was  presented 
with  fifty  dollars  at  the  end  of  his 
first  year's  service.  In  1859  he  opened 
a  stock  broker's  office  in  Philadel- 
phia. During  the  Civil  War  he  dealt 
heavily  in  government,  state  and  city 
bonds.  The  panic  occasioned  by  the 
Chicago  fire  caught  him  heavily  in- 
debted to  the  city  for  bonds  sold  for 
it.  The  authorities  demanded  settle- 
ment; but,  being  unable  to  pay  in 
full,  he  made  an  assignment.  In  1873 


640 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


he  commenced  the  recuperation  of  his 
fortune,  and  with  success.  In  1880 
he  made  a  trip  to  Chicago,  and,  be- 
coming convinced  of  the  opportuni- 
ties the  west  offered  to  financiers,  he 
joined  an  "improvement  syndicate," 
of  which  he  later  became  sole  owner. 
Subsequently  he  sold  his  interest  in  it 
and  opened  a  banking  house  in  Chi- 
cago. In  1886  he  obtained  control  of 
the  North  Chicago  Railway  Com- 
pany. He  added  other  systems,  and 
finally  united  several  corporations 


under  the  title  of  the  Chicago  Con- 
solidated Traction  Company.  Mr. 
Yerkes  was  a  chief  factor  in  getting 
the  Columbian  Exposition  for  Chi- 
cago. He  is  a  devoted  lover  of  art, 
and  possesses  a  unique  collection  of 
pictures.  His  successful  efforts  to 
introduce  New  World  street  trans- 
portation methods  into  England  are 
a  matter  of  recent  record.  In  1861 
Mr.  Yerkes  was  married  to  Mary 
Adelaide  Moore,  of  Philadelphia. 


POLITICAL  LEADERS. 


NELSON  WILMARTH  ALDRICH. 

The  republican  leader  in  the  senate, 
Nelson  Wilmarth  Aldrich,  was  born 
in  Foster,  Rhode  Island,  November 
6,  1841.  After  having  received  a 
common  school  and  academy  educa- 
tion, he  became  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits  in  Providence,  being  en- 
tirely successful  therein.  While  a 
very  young  man,  Mr.  Aldrich  became 
interested  in  the  conduct  and  welfare 
of  public  schools.  He  became  so 
prominent  in  connection  with  efforts 
looking  to  school  improvements  that 
in  1871  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Providence  common  council.  In 
1873  he  was  a  member  of  the  Rhode 
Island  legislature,  and  at  1876  was 
its  speaker.  It  was  about  this  period 
that  Mr.  Aldrich  began  to  take  an 
active  part  in  national  politics,  in 
consequence  of  which  he  was  made 
member  of  congress  in  1879,  holding 
that  office  until  1883,  when  he  resign- 
ed in  order  to  take  a  seat  in  the  sen- 
ate. Since  that  time  he  has  been 
more  or  less  continuously  in  the  pub- 
lic eye.  He  is  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  rules  of  the  Fiftieth  con- 
gress, and  is,  as  already  stated,  re- 
publican leader  in  the  senate.  While 
Mr.  Aldrich  is  not  a  brilliant  orator, 
he  has  a  remarkable  instinct  for  or- 


ganization, and  it  is  that  faculty  more 
than  any  other  that  has  obtained  for 
him  the  prominent  position  in  the 
Republican  party  which  is  now  his. 

WILLIAM  JENNINGS  BRYAN. 

William  Jennings  Bryan  was  born 
in  Salem,  Marion  county,  Illinois, 
March  19,  1860.  He  got  an  elemen- 
tary education  at  home  from  his 
mother  until  he  was  ten,  and  then  at- 
tended public  school  until  his  fifteenth 
year,  studying  thereafter  for  two 
years  at  Whipple  academy,  Jackson- 
ville, which  he  left  in  order  to  enter 
Illinois  college.  During  his  college 
course  he  was  prominent  in  literary 
and  debating  societies  and  on  his 
graduation,  in  1881,  delivered  the 
valedictory  of  his  class.  For  the  next 
tWb  years  he  studied  law  in  the  Union 
law  college,  and  in  the  office  of  Ly- 
man  Trumbull,  and  upon  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  began  to  practice  at 
Jacksonville.  In  1884  he  removed  to 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and  became  a 
member  of  the  law  firm  of  Talbot  & 
Bryan.  He  soon  became  active  in 
politics,  his  first  public  reputation  be- 
ing made  in  the  campaign  of  1888. 
In  1890  he  was  sent  to  congress.  In 
1892  he  was  renominated  and  again 
elected.  In  1896  he  was  a  delegate 


641 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


from  Nebraska  to  the  national  con- 
vention of  the  Democratic  party  at 
Chicago,  where  his  brilliant  speech  in 
defense  of  free  silver  caused  his  nom- 
ination as  candidate  to  the  presidency 
of  the  United  States.  After  a  most 
remarkable  campaign  he  was  defeat- 
ed. He  was  a  colonel  of  the  Third 
Nebraska  Volunteers  during  the 
Spanish-American  war,  and  at  its  ter- 
mination returned  to  Nebraska,  re- 
suming his  political  activities.  He 
edits  and  publishes  The  Commoner,  a 
weekly  periodical,  in  which  he  sets 
forth  his  political  principles.  Mary 
E.  Baird,  of  Perry,  Illinois,  whom  he 
married  in  1884,  has  borne  him  three 
children. 

ARTHUR  PUE  GORMAN. 

There  are  very  few  people  who  be- 
gin political  life  as  early  as  Arthur 
Pue  Gorman.  He  was  born  March 
ii,  1839,  and  at  thirteen  years  of  age 
became  a  page  in  the  United  States 
senate.  In  1866  he  was  appointed 
revenue  collector  in  Maryland,  which 
office  he  held  until  1869,  when  U.  S. 
Grant  became  president.  From  1875 
to  1879  he  was  state  senator,  and 
from  1881  to  1899  he  was  United 
States  senator  from  Maryland.  From 
1869  to  1875  he  was  member  of  the 
Maryland  House  of  Delegates.  In 
spite  of  his  limited  schooling,  he  man- 
aged by  wide  and  careful  reading  and 
practical  experience  to  secure  an  edu- 
cation in  general  and  in  public  mat- 
ters in  particular,,  which  has  procured 
for  him  the  position  of  a  notable 
political  leader.  It  was  largely 
through  Mr.  Gorman's  management 
that  Grover  Cleveland  was  elected  to 
the  presidency  after  an  uninterrupted 
series  of  democratic  defeats  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century.  Calmness  of 
temper,  courage,  self-reliance  and 
honesty  are  the  qualities  which  he 
possesses,  which,  too,  inspire  respect 
and  which  win  him  triumphs.  He  is 


an  able  speaker  and  a  master  of  par- 
liamentary law.  He  has  strikingly  im- 
pressed himself  upon  national  affairs, 
and  his  name  has  often  been  voiced 
in  the  press  as  a  fit  candidate  for  the 
presidency. 

MARCUS  ALONZO  HANNA. 

Marcus  Alonzo  Hanna,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  national 
republican  affairs,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 24,  1837,  at  New  Lisbon  (now 
Lisbon),  Ohio.  His  father  was  a 
grocer  in  that  village.  Young  Hanna 
was  educated  at  local  schools,,  and  in 
the  Western  Reserve  college  and 
Kenyon  college,  Ohio.  When  not  in 
school  he  was  helping  his  father  in 
the  latter's  store,  and  cut  short  his 
academic  course  in  order  to  clerk  for 
his  father,  who  had  decided  on  open- 
ing a  place  of  business  in  Cleveland. 
Until  he  was  twenty  he  thus  worked, 
receiving  a  small  salary  for  so  doing. 
In  1861  his  father  died,  and  young 
Hanna  became  heir  to  the  business, 
which  he  continued  to  run  until  1867. 
During  that  year  he  sold  out  and  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  vast  fortune 
which  he  now  possesses.  Mr.  Hanna 
is  interested  in  banks,  railroads, 
mines  of  many  sorts,  especially  coal, 
steamship  lines,  etc.  At  a  compara- 
tively early  age  he  became  interested 
in  political  questions,  into  the  solving 
of  which  he  threw  himself  with  char- 
acteristic earnestness.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  re- 
publican national  committee,  and  in 
that  capacity  he  secured  the  nomina- 
tion of  the  late  President  McKinley, 
as  well  as  obtaining  a  second  term 
for  him.  Mr.  Hanna  is  United  States 
senator  from  Ohio,  having  been  elect- 
ed to  that  office  in  1897.  In  his  own 
•words,  his  success  may  be  explained 
thus :  "I  was  never  penniless,  be- 
cause I  always  saved.  I  was  never 
hopeless,  because  I  would  not  be  dis- 
couraged, and  I  always  felt  assured 


642 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


that  present  endeavors   would  bring 
forth  future  fruit." 

CARTER  HENRY  HARRISON,  JR. 

Carter  Henry  Harrison,  Jr.,  was 
born  in  Chicago,  April  23,  1860.  He 
is  the  son  of  the  late  Carter  Henry 
Harrison,  one  of  the  builders  of  the 
City  of  Chicago,  who  was  its  mayor 
five  times.  Carter  Henry  Harrison, 
Jr.,  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  in  educational  establishments 
in  Altenburg,  Germany,  at  St.  Igna- 
tius college,  Chicago,  and  the  Yale 
law  school,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1883.  On  December  14,  1887,  he 
was  married  to  Edith,  daughter  of 
Robert  N.  Ogden,  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  New  Orleans.  He  followed 
his  father's  profession  of  law  and 
the  real  estate  business.  He  also  was 
the  publisher  of  the  Chicago  Times, 
1891  and  1893 ;  was  elected  mayor  of 
Chicago  as  a  democrat,  April  6,  1897, 
1899,  1901  and  1903.  Mr.  Harrison 
has  the  courage  of  vigorous  opinions 
politically,  municipally  and  in  other 
ways.  While  some  may  differ  from 
him  as  to  his  beliefs  and  methods, 
even  these  admit  his  possession  of 
those  qualities  which  enable  him  to 
successfully  fulfil  duties  that  are 
usually  relegated  to  much  older  men. 

JOSEPH  WINGATE  FOLK. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  and 
promising  young  men  in  the  political 
life  in  the  United  States  is  Joseph 
Wingate  Folk,  who  was  elected  gov- 
ernor of  Missouri  in  the  fall  of  1904. 
Though  Governor  Folk's  rise  has 
been  a  very  rapid  one,  it  has  been 
the  result  of  qualities  which  make 
for  the  most  substantial  and  endur- 
ing kind  of  political  success.  Domi- 
nating factors  of  Governor  Folk's 
career  have  been  honesty  and  a  rigid 
performance  of  duty.  For  these  he 
has  courted  defeat  and  failure,  has 
even  undergone  danger  to  his  life. 


He  has  refused  to  listen  for  a  mo- 
ment to  some  of  the  largest  financial 
offers  that  have  ever  been  made  to 
tempt  a  servant  of  the  people  to  be- 
tray his  trust.  Not  only  has  the 
power  of  money,  but  also  the  cor- 
rupt personal  influence  of  many  able 
men,  been  brought  to  bear  upon  him 
in  his  work  as  circuit  attorney  in  St. 
Louis.  Many  of  his  friends,  even, 
endeavored  to  persuade  him  that  his 
course  of  action  toward  the  political 
leaders  in  St.  Louis  would  result 
only  in  disaster  to  himself.  But  Gov- 
ernor Folk's  invariable  answer  was 
that  he  accepted  public  office  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  do  his  duty. 

The  result  has  been  a  great  sur- 
prise to  both  his  friends  and  enemies, 
and  the  introduction  of  an  uplifting 
influence  in  American  politics.  Gov- 
ernor Folk  has  won  a  great  personal 
triumph  in  his  election  to  the  gover- 
norship of  Missouri,  and  the  indica- 
tions are  that  he  will  rise  to  still 
greater  heights.  His  prominence  and 
influence  are  rendered  all  the  more 
notable  by  the  fact  that  he  is  only 
thirty-five  years  old,  and  rose  from 
the  position  of  an  obscure  lawyer  to 
American  leadership  in  the  short 
space  of  four  years. 

Governor  Folk  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Brownville,  Tenn.,  in  1869. 
He  finished  his  college  education  at 
Vanderbilt  University,  where  he  was 
known  as  a  clever,  whole-souled 
young  man  who  devoted  much  atten- 
tion to  his  books,  but  by  no  means 
neglected  athletics  and  the  general 
life  of  a  college  boy.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1890,  and  began 
the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Louis, 
where  for  some  years  his  experiences 
were  those  of  the  average  struggling 
young  attorney.  During  this  period 
of  his  career  he  became  a  friend  of 
Henry  W.  Hawes,  who  was  afterward 
one  of  his  bitterest  political  enemies. 
Hawes  rapidly  rose  to  a  position  of 
considerable  power  in  St.  Louis,  *nd 


643 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


when,  in  1900,  he  was  asked  by  the 
Democratic  boss  of  the  city,  Edward 
Butler,  to  suggest  a  likely  man  for 
the  place  of  circuit  attorney,  he  at 
once  recommended  his  friend  Folk. 
Butler  knew  very  little  of  the  young 
lawyer,  but  on  the  strength  of  Hawes' 
word  he  accepted  him  as  being  suffi- 
ciently pliable  to  serve  the  corrupt 
uses  of  the  political  machine. 

Folk  was  elected  and  immediately 
inaugurated  the  now  celebrated  cam- 
paign against  the  corrupt  practices 
of  both  his  political  supporters  and 
his  enemies.  It  was  the  former  who 
suffered  chiefly  in  the  execution  of 


Governor  Folk's  ideas  as  to  his  duty. 
They  were  at  first  astonished,  then 
incensed,  and  finally  panic-stricken. 
Many  of  those  who  helped  to  elect 
him  to  office  were  sent  to  prison. 
Others  were  compelled  to  take  flight 
to  avoid  the  same  fate.  The  St. 
Louis  political  machine,  one  of  the 
most  corrupt  in  existence,  was  shat- 
tered. It  was  a  herculean  task  which 
Governor  Folk  had  mapped  out  for 
himself,  but  his  courage,  steadfastness 
and  ability  carried  him  to  a  triumph- 
ant conclusion  of  it,  and  now  he 
stands  before  the  country  as  a  polit- 
ical leader  of  the  highest  type. 


LAWYERS  AND  JURISTS. 


FRANK  SWETT  BLACK. 

Frank  Swett  Black  was  born  at 
Limington,  Maine,  March  8,  1853. 
He  graduated  from  Dartmouth,  1875. 
He  entered  professional  life  as  the 
editor  of  the  Johnstown,  New  York, 
Journal.  Later  he  became  reporter 
of  the  Troy  Whig,  New  York.  He 
was  a  clerk  in  the  registry  depart- 
ment of  the  Troy  postoffice,  during 
which  time  he  studied  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879.  He  was 
a  member  of  congress  in  1895  to  1897, 
and  in  1897  was  elected  by  the  re- 
publicans as  governor  of  New  York 
state.  He  also  won  distinction  as  a 
trial  lawyer  and  has  defended  a  num- 
ber of  notable  cases,  among  which 
was  the  celebrated  case  of  Rollin  B. 
Molineaux. 

FREDERICK  RENE  COUDERT. 

The  young  man  who  wishes  to  suc- 
ceed in  the  profession  of  law  would 
do  well  to  study  the  life  of  the  law- 
yer, Frederick  Rene  Coudert,  whose 


every  act  has  been  marked  by  fair- 
ness and  courtesy.  He  was  born  of 
French  parentage  in  the  city  of  New 
York  in  1832,  receiving  his  early  edu- 
cation at  his  father's  school  in  that 
city.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  en- 
tered Columbia  college,  graduating 
with  highest  honors  in  1850,  his  ad- 
dress on  that  occasion  calling  forth 
much  comment  from  the  press.  Dur- 
ing the  next  few  years  he  busied 
himself  with  newspaper  work,  teach- 
ing and  translations,  besides  studying 
law;  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar. 
His  brothers,  Lewis  and  Charles  Cou- 
dert, Jr.,  joining  him  in  the  practice 
of  law,  they  formed  the  firm  of  Cou- 
dert Brothers,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
largest  law  firms  of  New  York  city, 
and  of  which  Frederick  R.  Coudert 
is  the  recognized  head.  He  has 
achieved  quite  a  reputation  as  a 
speaker  and  lecturer;  and  among  his 
most  notable  addresses  might  be 
mentioned  one  at  the  centennial  cele- 


644 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


bration  of  Columbia  college,  1887; 
an  eloquent  speech  in  favor  of  the 
Democratic  union  during  the  cam- 
paign of  Tilden  in  1879,  and  his  pub- 
lic addresses  on  the  arrival  of  Bar- 
tholdi's  statue  of  liberty  and  the 
statues  of  Lafayette  and  Bolivar.  He 
has  been  quite  active  in  the  political 
work  of  the  democratic  party,  but 
avoiding,  rather  than  asking,  public 
functions,  several  times  having  de- 
clined nominations  which  signified 
election  to  the  bench  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  Mr.  Coudert  played  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  election  of  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  in  1884.  Mr.  Cou- 
dert's  abilities  have  been  of  great 
service  in  other  fields.  He  was  the 
first  president  of  the  United  States 
Catholic  Historical  Society,  holding 
the  office  several  terms;  for  years 
president  of  the  Columbia  college 
alumni  association;  for  years  gov- 
ernment director  of  the  Union  Pa- 
cific railroad;  for  a  long  time  trustee 
of  Columbia  and  Barnard  colleges 
and  of  Seton  Hall  College,  New  Jer- 
sey, besides  being  the  director  in 
numerous  social  and  charitable  or- 
ganizations. In  1880  Seton  college 
awarded  him  the  degree  of  LL.D., 
which  degree  was  also  given  by  Ford- 
ham  college  in  1884,  and,,  in  1887,  he 
received  from  Columbia  college  the 
degree  of  J.  U.  D.  As  a  mark  of 
recognition  the  French  government 
presented  him  with  the  Cross  of  the 
•  Legion  of  Honor,  which  decoration 
he  has  also  received  from  the  gov- 
ernments of  Italy  and  Bolivia. 

JAMES  BROOKS  DILL. 

A  sturdy  Scotch  ancestry  has  given 
to  the  lawyer,  James  Brooks  Dill, 
that  pertinacity  and  determination 
which  successfully  overcomes  all  ob- 
stacles. He  was  born  in  Spencerport, 
New  York,  July  25,  1854,  the  oldest 
child  of  the  Rev.  James  Horton  and 
Catherine  (Brooks)  Dill.  Four  years 


after  his  birth  his  parents  removed  to 
Chicago,  but  upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  1863,  he  removed  with  his 
mother  to  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 
continuing  his  studies  in  the  elemen- 
tary branches.  After  studying  at 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  from  1868  to  1872,  he 
entered  Yale,  graduating  in  the  class 
of  1876.  He  now  taught  school  and 
studied  law,  and  in  1877  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  obtained  a  position 
as  instructor  in  Stevens'  Institute, 
Hoboken.  Mr.  Dill  was  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  LL.D.  from  the 
University  law  school  in  1878,  as 
salutatorian,  and  was  then  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  New  York.  Corporation 
law  was  made  one  of  his  special 
studies,  and,  in  1879,  he  won  an  im- 
portant corporation  case  which  soon 
established  his  reputation  as  a  cor- 
poration lawyer  and  an  authority  on 
this  particular  subject.  His  marked 
business  ability,  combined  with  a 
clear  legal  mind,  made  his  services 
sought  by  the  many  large  and  influ- 
ential corporate  interests.  He  was 
married  in  1880  to  Miss  Mary  W. 
Hansell,  daughter  of  a  Philadelphia 
merchant,  thereupon  removing  to 
Orange,  New  Jersey.  He  became  an 
active  worker  in  the  municipal  and 
social  improvement  of  the  Oranges, 
organizing  a  People's  Bank,  of  which 
he  has  always  been  a  director  and 
counsel.  He  also  assisted  in  estab- 
lishing the  Savings  Investment  and 
Trust  Co.,  becoming  director  and 
vice-president.  He  is  now  director  in 
the  Seventh  National  Bank  of  New 
York  City,  the  Corporation  Trust 
Company  of  New  Jersey,  the  Ameri- 
can School  of  Architecture  at  Rome, 
the  New  England  State  Railway 
Company  of  Boston,  the  Central  Te- 
resa Sugar  Company  and  others. 

MELVILLE  WESTON  FULLER. 

The  most  notable  figure  of  the  ju- 
diciary of  this  country  is  undoubted- 


645 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


ly  Chief  Justice  Melville  Weston  Ful- 
ler, of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  He  is  in  every  way 
the  ideal  dignitary  of  the  bench,  im- 
pressive as  to  appearance,  forceful  in 
forensic  oratory,  learned  in  the  law 
and  unblemished  as  to  reputation, 
personal  and  professional.  He  was 
born  February  n,  1833,  at  Augusta, 
Maine,  coming  of  sterling  New  Eng- 
land stock.  Graduating  from  Bow- 
doin  college  in  1853,  and  later  edu- 
cated at  Harvard  law  school,  he,  in 
1855,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Form- 
ing a  law  partnership  in  the  town  of 
his  birth,,  he  later  established  there  a 
Democratic  paper  known  as  The  Age, 
of  which  he  became  assistant  editor. 
The  venture  was  successful  and  The 
Age  became  a  power  in  political  cir- 
cles in  Maine.  Young  Fuller  was 
also  elected  president  of  the  common 
council,  and  city  attorney  for  the 
town.  But  Augusta  was  too  small  a 
sphere  for  the  rising  young  lawyer, 
so  in  1859  he  went  to  Chicago,  where 
he  opened  a  law  office.  Simultane- 
ously he  took  an  active  part  in  Illi- 
nois politics.  It  was  not  long  before 
he  became  a  recognized  political 
leader  locally.  In  1863  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  legislature,  in 
which  capacity  he  confirmed  the  be- 
liefs of  those  who  regarded  him  as  a 
coming  man.  He  was  delegate  to  a 
number  of  Democratic  national  con- 
ventions, in  each  of  which  he  was  a 
prominent  figure.  President  Cleve- 
land appointed  him  chief  justice  on 
April  30,  1888,  and  he  was  confirmed 
and  seated  the  year  following. 

JOHN  WILLIAM  GRIGGS. 

John  William  Griggs  was  born  at 
Newton,  New  Jersey,  July  10,  1849. 
He  was  graduated  from  Lafayette 
college  in  1868,  and,  after  studying 
law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1871. 
He  practiced  law  at  Paterson  until 
1876,  in  which  year  he  was  elected  a 


member  of  the  New  Jersey  general 
assembly.  In  1886  he  was  president 
of  the  New  Jersey  senate.  He  was 
elected  governor  of  New  Jersey  in 
1896,  which  office  he  resigned  to  ac- 
cept the  office  of  attorney-general  of 
the  United  States.  He  resigned  the 
attorney-generalship  in  1901. 

OLIVER  WENDELL  HOLMES. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  the  son  of 
Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  the  poet 
and  essayist,  was  born  at  Boston, 
March  8,  1841.  He  graduated  from 
Harvard  in  1861,  and  from  the  Har- 
vard law  school  in  1866.  During  the 
Civil  war  he  served  three  years  with 
the  Massachusetts  volunteers,  and 
was  wounded  in  the  breast  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Balls  Bluff,  and  again  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Antietam.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  Boston,  and  was 
editor  of  the  Law  Review  from  1870 
to  1873.  In  1882  he  became  professor 
at  the  Harvard  law  school.  In  the 
same  year  he  was  made  assistant  jus- 
tice in  the  Supreme  judicial  court, 
Massachusetts,  and  on  August  2, 
1899,  he  was  made  chief  justice  of 
the  same  court. 

WILLIAM  TRAVERS  JEROME. 

William  Travers  Jerome,  who,  by 
reason  of  being  the  district  attorney 
of  the  metropolis,  his  power  of  pun- 
gent political  oratory  and  his  strenu- 
ous work  as  a  municipal  reformer,  is 
one  of  the  best  known  and  decidedly 
one  of  the  most  interesting  figures  in 
the  current  history  of  New  York,  is 
still  a  young  man.  He  was  born 
April  18,  1859,  in  Lawrence,  Massa- 
chusetts, receiving  his  initial  edu- 
cation at  the  local  public  school 
and  from  private  tutors;  he  took  a 
classical  course  at  Amherst  college, 
and  next  was  a  student  at  the  Co- 
lumbia university  law  school  of  New 
York  city.  He  was  admitted  to  the 


646 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


bar  in  1884  and  became  connected 
with  a  New  York  law  firm.  From 
the  first  he  gave  evidence  of  being 
the  possessor  of  those  qualities  which 
later  made  him  famous.  As  a  lawyer 
his  learnedly  aggressive  methods 
brought  him  popularity  and  many 
fees.  As  a  justice  of  the  court  of 
special  sessions,,  he  lived  up  to  the 
reputation  that  he  had  established  on 
the  bench.  When,  a  few  years  since, 
he  threw  himself  into  the  political 
whirlpool,  he  gave  the  country-at- 
large  an  excellent  example  of  the 
man  who  has  waited  for  his  oppor- 
tunity, recognizes  it  when  he  sees  it 
and  grasps  it  forthwith.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  Mr.  Jerome  did 
more  than  any  one  man,  or,  for  that 
matter,  any  one  group  of  men  to  free 
New  York  from  certain  evil  influ- 
ences which  had  fastened  themselves 
upon  it  and  its  citizens.  Here  is 
what  he  says  relative  to  his  political 
success,  but  his  remarks  apply  equally 
to  success  of  all  kinds :  "A  young 
man  must  have  strong  convictions  of 
the  right  kind,  hold  to  them  through 
thick  and  thin,  be  willing  to  accept 
defeats  smilingly,  if  necessary  begin 
his  work  all  over  again,  but  still  stick 
to  it — and  victory  is  assured." 

JOSEPH  MCKENNA. 

Another  of  the  numerous  success- 
ful jurists  whose  ancestry  is  Irish. 
He  was  the  son  of  John  and  Mary 
McKenna,  his  father  being  from  Ire- 
land and  his  mother  from  England. 
He  was  born  at  Philadelphia,  August 
10,  1843,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  at  St.  Joseph  col- 
lege until  1855,  when  the  family  re- 
moved to  Benicia,  California,  where 
he  entered  St.  Augustine  college  and 
took  up  the  study  of  law.  Directly 
afterward  he  graduated  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  In  1865  he  was 
elected  district  attorney  of  S'olano 
county.  He  served  in  this  capacity 


for  two  terms.  In  1873  he  was  elect- 
ed to  the  legislature,  and  one  year 
later  the  republicans  nominated  him 
for  congress,  but  he  was  defeated, 
and  not  only  on  this  occasion  but 
again  in  1878.  In  1884,  however,  he 
was  elected,  and  a  year  later  entered 
congress,  where  he  remained,  by  re- 
election, until  1891.  As  a  member  of 
the  ways  and  means  committee  he 
had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  impor- 
tant tariff  legislation.  In  1892  Presi- 
dent Harrison  appointed  him  circuit 
judge.  In  1897  he  entered  McKin- 
ley's  cabinet  as  attorney-general,  but 
in  December  of  the  same  year  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States  to  succeed 
Justice  Field.  He  was  married  in 
San  Francisco,  1869,  to  Amanda 
Borneman. 

ALTON  BROOKS  PARKER. 

Alton  Brooks  Parker  comes  from 
good  old  New  England  stock.  He 
was  born  in  Worcester,  Massachu- 
setts, May  14,  1851.  Later  his  family 
moved  to  Cortland,  New  York,  in 
which  place  he  was  educated,  gradu- 
ating from  the  normal  school  at  that 
place.  He  spent  three  years  in  teach- 
ing, and  then  entered  a  law  school 
at  Kingston,  New  York,  and  after- 
ward took  a  course  at  the  Albany  lavr 
school,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1872.  After  being  admitted  to  the 
bar,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  W. 
S.  Kenyon  at  Kingston,  New  York. 
In  1877  Mr.  Parker  was  elected  sur- 
rogate of  Ulster  county,  and  was 
again  re-elected  in  1883.  Two  years 
later  he  was  appointed,  by  Governor 
Hill,  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  to 
fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  Hon.  Theodoric  R.  West- 
brook.  At  the  end  of  the  year  he 
was  elected  justice  for  the  full  term. 
In  January,  1889,  the  second  division 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals  was  created, 
and  Judge  Parker  was  appointed  to 


647 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


it,  he  being  the  youngest  member  who 
ever  sat  in  the  Court  of  Appeals  in 
New  York  city.  The  second  division 
court  was  dissolved  in  1892,  and  at 
that  time  Governor  Hill  appointed 
him  member  of  the  general  term  of 
the  first  department,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  1895.  He  has  always 
been  active  in  politics  and  has  been  a 
delegate  to  nearly  every  state  con- 
vention,, and  also  to  the  national  con- 
vention in  1884  which  nominated 


Grover  Cleveland.  In  1895  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  state 
executive  committee.  In  1897  he  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  over  sixty 
thousand  to  the  office  of  chief  jus- 
tice of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  the 
highest  judicial  office  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  He  has  often  been  men- 
tioned as  a  possible  candidate  for 
president  by  the  Democratic  party. 
He  was  married  October  16,  1873,  to 
Mary  L.  S'choonmaker. 


SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS. 


ADNA  ROMANZA  CHAFFEE. 

Adna  Romanza  Chaffee  was  born 
at  Orwell,  Ohio,  April  14,  1842.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  entered  the  army  July  22,  1861. 
serving  first  as  a  private,  but  the 
close  of  the  war,  March  31,  1865, 
found  him  a  captain.  In  1868,  in 
fighting  the  Comanche  Indians  on 
Paint  Tree  creek,  Texas,  he  was  made 
a  major  for  gallantry  in  that  and 
other  campaigns,  and  was  finally 
made  lieutenant-colonel.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Spanish-Ameri- 
can war  he  was  appointed  brigadier- 
general  of  the  United  States  volun- 
teers, commanding  the  third  brigade, 
fifth  corps,  in  the  Santiago  campaign. 
He  was  promoted  to  major-general 
United  States  volunteers,  July  8, 
1898,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
as  major-general,  April  13,  1899,  but 
was  again  appointed  brigadier-general 
United  States  volunteers,  one  year 
later  and  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  United  States  forces  for  the  re- 
lief of  the  United  States  legation  at 
Pekin,  China.  In  1901  he  was  made 
a  major-general  United  States  army. 

GEORGE  DEWEY. 

George  Dewey,  the  third  admiral 
of  the  United  States  navy,  was  born 
at  Montpelier,  Vermont,  December 


26,  1837.  His  father,  Julius  Yemans 
Dewey,  was  a  physician.  George  at- 
tended school  in  Montpelier  and  at 
Johnson,  Vermont.  In  1853  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  Norwich,  Ver- 
mont, but,  instead  of  completing  his 
course,  he  secured  an  appointment  in 
the  United  States  naval  academy  in 
1854.  He  was  graduated  with  honors 
in  1858  and  was  attached  to  the  steam 
frigate  Wabash.  In  1861  he  was  com- 
missioned a  lieutenant  and  assigned 
to  the  steam  sloop  Mississippi,  of  the 
West  Gulf  squadron.  He  saw  his 
first  service  under  fire  with  Farragut 
in  1862,  served  with  distinction  all 
through  the  Civil  war,  and,  at  the 
close,  he  was  commissioned  lieuten- 
ant-commander. From  1868  to  1870 
he  was  an  instructor  in  the  naval 
academy.  Promoted  to  a  captaincy 
in  1884,  he  was  placed  in  command 
of  the  Dolphin,  but  in  1895  was  re- 
turned to  the  European  station  in 
command  of  the  flagship  Pensacola ; 
there  he  remained  until  1888,  when  he 
was  ordered  home  and  appointed 
chief  of  the  bureau  of  equipment, 
ranking  as  commander.  On  Febru- 
ary 26,  1896,  he  was  commissioned 
commander  and  made  president  of 
the  board  of  inspection  and  survey, 
which  position  he  held  until  January, 
1898,  when  he  was  given  command 


648 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


of  the  Asiatic  station.  While  at 
Hongkong  Prince  Henry  of  Germany 
gave  a  banquet,  at  which  he  proposed 
a  toast  to  the  various  countries  rep- 
resented, but  omitted  the  United 
States,  whereupon  Commander 
Dewey  left  the  room  without  cere- 
mony. Three  days  after  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war  with  Spain  President 
McKinley  cabled  him  at  Hongkong: 
"Proceed  at  once  to  the  Philippine 
Islands.  Commence  operations,  par- 
ticularly against  the  Spanish  fleet. 
You  must  capture  or  destroy  the  ves- 
sels. Use  utmost  endeavor."  Dewey's 
success  in  carrying  out  these  orders 
is  known  to  all  the  world.  President 
McKinley  yielded  to  the  popular  de- 
mand that  the  rank  of  rear-admiral 
be  revived  in  favor  of  Dewey.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  March  3,  1899,  the  ap- 
pointment was  confirmed  in  executive 
session  of  the  United  States  senate. 
He  was  married  at  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  October  24,  1867,  to  Su- 
san B.,  daughter  of  ex-Governor 
Ichabod  Goodwin,  who  died  in  De- 
cember, 1872;  he  was  again  married 
to  Mrs.  Mildred  Hazen  in  Washing- 
ton on  November  9,  1899. 

ROBLEY  DUNGLISON  EVANS. 

Robley  Dunglison  Evans,  better 
known  as  Fighting  Bob  Evans,  was 
born  at  Floyd  Courthouse,  Virginia, 
August  18,  1847.  His  father  was  a 
physician  and  a  farmer,  his  mother 
being  the  daughter  of  John  Jackson, 
of  Fairfax  county,  and  sister  of 
James  Jackson,  who  shot  Colonel 
Ellsworth  for  capturing  a  Confeder- 
ate flag  on  the  roof  of  his  hotel.  Rob- 
ley  was  educated  at  a  country  school 
and  Gonzaga  classical  school,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  On  September  20, 
1860,  he  was  appointed  to  the  United 
States  naval  academy  by  Congress- 
man William  R.  Hooper,  from  the 
Utah  Territory.  He  was  made  a 
midshipman  in  i86p,  and  promoted  to 


ensign  in  1863.  In  1864  and  1865  he 
served  with  his  ship  in  the  North 
Atlantic  blockade  squadron.  He  saw 
considerable  service  in  the  West  In- 
dies, and,  in  the  attack  on  Fort 
Fisher,  in  1865,  received  rifle  shot 
wounds  which  disabled  him  for  a 
time.  In  1866  he  was  commissioned 
lieutenant;  in  1868  was  made  lieu- 
tenant commander,  and  was  later  as- 
signed to  duty  at  the  navy  yard, 
Washington,  and  still  later  at  the 
naval  academy,  Annapolis.  From 
1877  to  1881  he  was  in  command  of 
the  training  ship  Saratoga,  and  later 
was  promoted  to  commander.  In  1891- 
'92  he  was  in  command  of  the  United 
States  naval  force  at  the  Behring  Sea 
to  suppress  sealing.  In  1893  he  was 
promoted  to  captain.  During  the 
Spanish-American  war  Captain  Evans 
was  in  command  of  the  battleship 
Iowa,  which  achieved  distinction  dur- 
ing the  battle  of  Santiago,  when  the 
fleet  of  Admiral  Cervera  made  an  at- 
tempt to  run  the  blockade.  He 
served  all  through  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  and,  in  1898,  by  his 
own  request,  he  was  detached  from 
the  command  of  the  Iowa  and  was 
assigned  to  duty  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  inspection  and  survey.  He 
was  married  in  1860  to  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  Frank  Taylor,  of  Wash- 
ington, District  of  Columbia. 

FRED  FUNSTON. 

Fred  Funston  was  born  in  Ohio, 
November  9,  1865.  His  father  was  a 
prominent  public  man  and  one  time 
a  member  of  congress  from  Kansas. 
He  was  graduated  in  1886  from  the 
high  school  at  lola,  Kansas,  and  later 
studied  for  two  years  in  the  state 
university  at  Lawrence,  but  was  not 
graduated.  In  1890  he  was  a  reporter 
in  Kansas  City,  and  his  first  public 
work  was  done  as  botanist  in  the 
United  States  death  valley  expedi- 
tion in  1891.  Returning  he  was  mad« 


649 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


a  commissioner  in  the  department  of 
agriculture  and  was  assigned  to  ex- 
plore Alaska  and  report  on  its  flora. 
In  1893  he  floated  down  the  Yukon 
alone  in  a  canoe.  He  served  eighteen 
months  in  the  insurgent  army  in 
Cuba,,  and  upon  his  return  to  the 
United  States,  in  1896,  was  commis- 
sioned a  colonel  in  the  Twentieth 
Kansas  volunteers.  In  1898  he  went 
to  the  Philippines  and  took  part  in 
several  battles.  He  crossed  the  Rio 
Grande  river  at  Calumpit  on  a  small 
bamboo  raft  under  heavy  fire  and  es- 
tablished a  rope  ferry  by  which  the 
United  States  troops  were  enabled  to 
cross  and  win  the  battle.  For  this 
deed  of  valor  he  was  promoted  to 
brigadier-general  of  the  United  States 
volunteers  May  2,  1899.  He  remained 
in  active  service  in  the  Philippines 
and  organized  the  expedition  which 
succeeded  in  the  capture  of  Agui- 
naldo.  For  this  he  was  promoted  to 
brigadier-general  United  States  army, 
March  20,  1901. 

RICHMOND  PEARSON  HOBSON. 

Many  of  our  naval  and  army  offi- 
cers are  of  southern  birth.  Richmond 
Pearson  Hobson  is  a  case  in  point, 
since  he  was  born  at  Greensboro,  Ala- 
bama, August  17,  1870.  His  ances- 
tors were  English  and  many  of  them 
were  members  of  the  nobility.  Young 
Hobson,  after  a  course  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Southern  university 
at  Greensboro,  entered  the  United 
States  naval  academy  at  Annapolis  in 
1889.  He  was  immediately  appointed 
a  midshipman  on  the  Chicago,  under 
command  of  Rear-Admiral  Walker 
and  ordered  to  the  European  station. 
Upon  his  return  he  received  the  com- 
pliment of  an  appointment  as  one  of 
the  United  States  officers  permitted 
by  the  British  government  to  receive 
a  course  of  instructions  at  the  Royal 
navy  college,  Woolwich,  England. 
Here  he  remained  three  years,  taking 


a  special  study  in  naval  architecture. 
On  returning  home  he  received  an 
appointment  to  the  navy  department 
at  Washington,  and  discharged  his 
duties  with  such  fidelity  and  intelli- 
gence that  he  was  given  an  appoint- 
ment as  assistant  naval  constructor. 
He  was  later  ordered  to  the  Brook- 
lyn navy  yard,  where  he  remained  one 
year.  Next  he  went  to  Newport 
News  to  inspect  the  battleships  Kear- 
sarge  and  Kentucky,  which  were  un- 
der construction  there.  He  then  be- 
came instructor  in  the  post-graduate 
course  in  naval  instruction,  which  he 
inaugurated  at  the  naval  academy  in 
1897.  In  1898  he,  with  his  pupils, 
was  ordered  to  join  Sampson's  fleet 
at  Key  West,  with  which  he  remained 
until  the  performance  of  the  remark- 
able and  historic  feat  of  bottling  up 
Cervera  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago  de 
Cuba.  He  received  a  great  deal  of 
deserved  honor  for  this  achievement, 
and  was  nominated  by  President  Mc- 
Kinley  March  i,  1899,  to  be  advanced 
ten  numbers  from  number  one  from 
the  list  of  naval  constructors  for  ex- 
traordinary heroism.  This  is  said  to 
be  the  greatest  possible  promotion  in 
the  naval  service  for  gallant  conduct 
in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  Hobson 
has  done  subsequent  excellent  work 
and  is  the  author  of  a  number  of 
works  on  subjects  relative  to  his  pro- 
fession. 

WlNFIED     SCOTT     SCHLEY. 

Winfield  Scott  Schley  was  born  in 
Frederick,  Maryland,  October  9,  1839. 
After  being  educated  in  the  public 
schools  he  entered  the  naval  acad- 
emy at  Annapolis,  September  20, 
1856,  and  was  graduated  in  1860. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  served  in 
various  capacities,  and  at  its  close  he 
was  commissioned  lieutenant-com- 
mander and  was  made  instructor  in 
languages  at  the  United  States  naval 
academy.  In  1884  he  volunteered  for, 


650 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


and  was  placed  in  command  of,  the 
relief  expedition  sent  to  the  arctic 
regions  in  search  of  Lieutenant  Greely 
and  his  companions.  Two  other  at- 
tempts to  relieve  Lieutenant  Greely 
had  been  failures,  but  Commander 
Schley's  determination  and  intrepid- 
ity carried  his  expedition  to  success, 
and  the  seven  survivors  of  the  expe- 
dition were  found  and  brought  back, 
together  with  the  bodies  of  those  who 
had  perished.  In  recognition  of  this 
achievement,  the  Maryland  legisla- 
ture presented  him  with  a  gold  watch 
and  a  vote  of  thanks,  and  the  Massa- 
chusetts Humane  Society  gave  him  a 
gold  medal,  and  a  territory  west  of 
Cape  Sabine  was  named  Schley  land. 
He  was  also  commissioned  to  carry, 
to  Sweden,  the  remains  of  John 
Erickson,  for  which  King  Oscar 
awarded  him  a  gold  medal.  In  1898 
he  was  made  commodore.  Previous 
to  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-Amer- 
ican war  he  was  given  command  of 
the  "Flying  Squadron."  On  May  19 
he  was  ordered  by  Sampson  to  block- 
ade Cienfuegos.  On  May  29,  he  had 
been  ordered  to  Santiago  by  the  navy 
department  and  there  he  discovered 
the  Spanish  fleet  in  the  harbor.  At 
8:45  of  that  day  Sampson  steamed 
eastward  to  Siboney,  thus  placing 
Schley  in  command.  Scarcely  an  hour 
later  the  Spaniards  emerged  from 
the  harbor,  the  Brooklyn,  Schley's 
ship,  signalling,  "clear  ship  for  ac- 
tion," "the  enemy  escaping  to  west- 
ward" and  "close  action,"  and  steam- 
ed forward  to  meet  the  advancing 
enemy.  One  after  another  the  Te- 
resa, Oquondo,  Biscaya  and  Colon 
were  run  aground  under  a  storm  of 
American  projectiles.  The  credit  of 
this  victory  was  claimed  by  Samp- 
son, but  as  he  was  absent  at  the  time, 
it  became  ultimately  recognized  by 
the  American  people  that  Schley  had 
fought  and  won  the  victory.  His 
ship  was  nearest  to  the  Spanish 


squadron  at  the  time  of  action  and 
was  the  most  badly  injured  of  all  the 
American  fleet.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  was  placed  on  waiting  orders. 
He  was  married  in  Annapolis,  Mary- 
land, September  10,  1863,  to  Anna 
Rebecca,  daughter  of  George  E.  and 
Marie  Caroline  Franklin. 

WILLIAM  RUFUS  SHAFTER. 

William  Rufus  Shafter  was  born 
at  Galesburg,  Michigan,  October  16, 
1835.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm 
and  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation. He  entered  the  Union  army 
as  first  lieutenant  of  the  Seventh 
Michigan  infantry.  He  rose  in  rank, 
and  when  mustered  out  of  the  volun- 
teer service,  in  1865,  entered  the  regu- 
lar army  as  lieutenant  colonel.  In 
1867  he  was  breveted  colonel  and 
given  congressional  honor  for  gallant 
conduct  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
Virginia.  He  was  made  a  brigadier- 
general  May  3,  1897,  in  charge  of  the 
department  of  California  and  later  a 
major-general  of  volunteers;  May, 
1898,  he  went  to  Tampa,  Florida; 
afterward  to  Cuba,  where  he  com- 
manded the  military  operations  which 
ended  in  the  surrender  of  Santiago 
de  Cuba  in  July,  1898,  while  at  the 
close  of  the  war  he  received  his  share 
of  criticism  for  some  incidents  of  the 
campaign,  yet  his  personal  gallantry 
and  technical  skill  have  never  been 
questioned.  His  success  in  his  chosen 
profession  may  be  traced  to  his  put- 
ting into  practice  the  ruling  axiom  of 
his  life,  which  he  formulates  thus:  "I 
think  that,  when  a  man  once  finds  the 
thing  he  likes,  and  for  which  he  is 
best  fitted,  he  is  bound  to  like  it 
always,  and  stick  to  it." 

JOSEPH  WHEELER. 

General  Joseph  Wheeler  gained 
"three  stars"  on  his  coat-collar,  in 
contending  for  the  "Lost  Cause."  He 
jiow  has  the  two  stars  of  a  United 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


States  major-general  in  the  Cuban 
war.  General  Wheeler  was,  from 
boyhood,  a  careful  and  painstaking 
student  of  the  profession  which  he 
adopted.  He  was  born  at  Augusta, 
Georgia,  September  10,  1836,  and  was 
sent  to  West  Point  at  seventeen. 
"While  others  were  passing  their  leis- 
ure moments  in  sport,  young  Wheeler 
could  be  found  in  the  library,  poring, 
with  deepest  interest,  over  those  vol- 
umes which  spoke  of  campaigns  and 
battles,  both  ancient  and  modern,  and 
examining  military  maps  and  plans  of 
battle  of  distinguished  generals.  From 
the  cavalry  school  at  Carlisle,  Penn- 
sylvania, he  went,  in  the  spring  of 

1860,  to  New  Mexico,  and,  in  March, 

1861,  returned  to  Georgia.     He  be- 
came a  first  lieutenant  of  Confederate 
artillery   at   Pensacola,   and   led    the 
Nineteenth   Alabama  infantry     regi- 
ment as  colonel.    At  Shiloh  he  had 


two  horses  shot  under  him,  and  is 
said  to  have  carried  the  regimental 
colors  in  his  own  hands.  On  the  re- 
treat from  Kentucky,  Colonel  Wheel- 
er, as  chief  of  cavalry,  covered  the 
movement.  During  this  campaign,  he 
met  the  enemy  in  thirty  fights  and 
skirmishes.  Having  been  made  a 
brigadier-general,  on  recommenda- 
tion of  Bragg,  Polk,  Hardee  and 
Buckner,  he  was  sent  to  Middle  Ten- 
nessee. The  Union  troops  at  that 
time  reported  that  "not  a  nubbin  of 
corn  was  obtained  without  fighting 
for  it."  Here  he  received  the  sobri- 
quet of  "The  Little  Hero."  General 
Wheeler  was  sick  when  the  Ameri- 
can troops  attacked  Santiago,  but  he 
hastened  on  a  litter  to  the  point  of 
danger,  and  by  his  words  and  exam- 
ple stimulated  his  men  to  victory. 
He  was  retired  as  brigadier-general 
September  10,  1900. 


EXPLORERS. 


EVELYN  BRIGGS  BALDWIN. 

Evelyn  B.  Baldwin,  the  well- 
known  arctic  explorer,  was  born  in 
Springfield,  Missouri,  July  2,  1862. 
He  is  the  son  of  Elias  Briggs  Bald- 
win, who  served  with  distinction  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  educated  at  the  pub- 
lic schools  in  Dupage  county,  Illi- 
nois, and,  on  graduating  from  the 
Northwestern  college,  Naperville,  Illi- 
nois, taught  in  district  schools  for 
some  time.  After  an  experience  as 
professional  pedestrian  and  bicyclist 
in  Europe,  he  returned  to  this  coun- 
try and  was  appointed  principal  of 
high  schools  and  superintendent  of 
city  schools  in  Kansas.  Next  we 
hear  of  him  as  attached  to  the  United 
States  weather  bureau  and  becoming 
inspector-at-large  of  the  signal  corps 
of  the  United  States  army.  In  1883 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Peary  ex- 


pedition to  North  Greenland  in  the 
capacity  of  meteorologist.  In  1897 
he  made  a  voyage  to  the  Andree  bal- 
loon station  in  Spitzbergen,  hoping  to 
join  that  ill-fated  scientist,,  but  ar- 
rived a  few  days  too  late.  In  1898 
he  accompanied  Wellman's  polar  ex- 
pedition as  meteorologist,  and  secured 
valuable  data  in  connection  with 
same.  He  also  organized  and  com- 
manded the  Baldwin-Ziegler  polar 
expedition  in  1901.  He  is  the  author 
of  several  works  on  arctic  explora- 
tion and  is  the  member  of  a  number 
of  scientific  societies. 

FREDERICK  ALBERT  COOK. 

Dr.  Frederick  A.  Cook,  physician 
by  profession  and  explorer  by  incli- 
nation, was  born  in  Callicoon  Depot, 
Sullivan  county,  New  York,  on  June 
10,  1865.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Theo- 
dore Albert  Cook  and  was  first  edu- 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


cated  in  Brooklyn,  graduated  from 
the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York  in  1890,  and  received  his  medi- 
cal degree  from  that  institution  in 
the  same  year.  His  work  of  explora- 
tion has  been  confined  to  the  arctic 
regions.  He  was  surgeon  of  the 
Peary  expedition  in  1891  and  acted  in 
the  like  capacity  for  the  Belgium 
antarctic  expedition  in  1897.  Dr. 
Cook  has  a  fertile  pen,  and  it  is 
mainly  through  its  efforts  that  he  is 
as  well  known  to  the  American  peo- 
ple as  he  is.  He  has  contributed  lib- 
erally to  the  leading  magazines,  writ- 
ing on  the  problems  of  the  north  and 
south  poles ;  is  the  author  of  a  mono- 
graph on  the  Patagonians,  and  has 
published  a  work  entitled  The  First 
Antarctic  Night.  He  is  a  member 
of  a  number  of  scientific  societies,  has 
been  decorated  by  King  Leopold  of 
Belgium  and  has  received  medals 
from  foreign  geological  societies  as  a 
recognition  of  his  services  in  the 
lines  indicated. 

SVF.N  ANDERS  HEDIN. 

The  ancient  Norseman's  desire  to 
wander  and  to  conquer  still  stirs  the 
blood  of  many  of  his  modern  de- 
scendants. Happily  nowadays,  the 
wandering  is  done  for  the  benefit  of 
humanity  and  the  conquests  are  those 
of  peace  and  not  of  the  "Swan  Path." 
Sven  Anders  Hedin,  explorer  and 
geographer,  is  a  case  in  point.  He 
was  born  at  Stockholm,  February 
19,  1865,  and  is  the  son  of  Ludwig 
Hedin,  official  chief  architect  of 
Stockholm.  When  a  mere  child  he 
exhibited  the  traits  that  distinguished 
his  later  years,  and  there  are  many 
stories  told  of  how  his  parents  were 
kept  on  the  alert  to  prevent  their 
baby — for  he  was  not  much  more — 
from  playing  truant,  which  he  did 
whenever  the  opportunity  offered. 
The  boy  was  indeed  father  to  the 
man,  and  his  parents,  on  his  finishing 


his  education,  had  the  wisdom  not 
to  attempt  to  thwart  his  expressed 
desire  to  become  an  explorer.  Had 
they  done  so  the  world  would  pos- 
sess much  less  geographical  knowl- 
edge than  it  now  does.  After  courses 
in  the  universities  of  Stockholm,  Up- 
sala,  Berlin  and  Halle,  he  began  his 
travels.  The  Orient  attracted  him, 
and  he  made  journeys  through  Per- 
sia and  Mesopotamia.  In  1895  he 
was  a  member  of  King  Oscar's  em- 
bassy to  the  Shah  of  Persia.  He  is 
best  known  in  connection  with  his 
explorations  in  Asia,  those  of  Khor- 
asan,  Turkestan  and  Thibet  being 
especially  notable.  Hedin  is  the  au- 
thor of  many  works  on  travel  and 
has  contributed  largely  to  those  jour- 
nals which  are  published  in  the  in- 
terest of  science  of  geography. 

E.  BURTON  HOLMES. 

E.  Burton  Holmes,  who  is  well 
known  to  the  American  public 
through  his  lectures  on  foreign  coun- 
tries, was  born  in  Chicago,  January 
8,  1870.  He  is  the  son  of  Ira  and 
Virginia  (Burton)  Holmes.  Edu- 
cated at  first  in  the  Allen  academy, 
and  subsequently  in  the  Harvard 
school,  Chicago,  he,  not  long  after 
his  graduation,  began  to  evince  that 
uncontrollable  desire  to  see  the  world 
which  is  innate  in  the  breast  of  the 
born  explorer.  Notwithstanding  that 
he  is  still  a  comparatively  young  man, 
Mr.  Holmes  has  managed,  since  he 
attained  his  majority,  to  visit  Japan, 
Algeria,  Corsica,  Greece  and  Thes- 
saly.  He  has  also  taken  part  in  an 
expedition  sent  under  the  auspices  of 
a  scientific  organization  to  Fez,  Mo- 
rocco. All  of  the  continental  coun- 
tries of  Europe  are  known  to  him,  as 
are  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  the  Philip- 
pine Islands  and  China.  He  has  vis- 
ited the  Yellowstone  Park  and  the 
Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  river. 
His  first  appearance  on  the  lecture 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


platform  was  in  1890,  and  since  then 
he  has  appeared  in  nearly  all  of  the 
American  cities.  Mr.  Holmes  has 
graphic  powers  of  description,  which 
explains  the  popularity  of  his  ad- 
dresses. His  lectures  have  been  pub- 
lished in  book  form. 

A.  H.  SAVAGE  LANDOR. 

The  power  of  purpose  is  empha- 
sized in  the  career  of  A.  H.  Savage 
Landori,  artist  and  explorer.  Son 
of  Charles  Savage  Landor,  and  the 
grandson  of  Walter  Savage  Landor, 
author  and  poet,  he  was  born  in 
Florence,  Italy;  was  educated  in  that 
city,  and  afterward  went  to  Paris 
to  study  art.  There  he  entered  the 
studio  of  Julian,  one  of  whose  favor- 
ite pupils  he  soon  became.  There  is 
every  likelihood  that  he  would  have 
become  prominent  in  art  circles  had 
it  not  been  for  his  keen  desire  for 
travel.  So  deserting  the  easel  for  the 
knapsack,  he  visited  Japan,  China, 
Corea,  Mongolia,  India,  Napaul,  Thi- 
bet, America,  Australia,  Africa  and 
other  countries.  He  lived  for  some 
time  among  a  curious  race  of  aborig- 
ines known  as  the  Hairy  Ainu,  in  the 
wilds  of  Northern  Japan.  Mr.  Landor 
is  best  known  to  the  reading  pub- 
lic by  reason  of  his  explorations  in 
Thibet  and  the  remarkable  book 
which  was  the  fruit  thereof.  During 
his  sojourn  in  "The  Forbidden 
Country"  he  underwent  incredible 
hardships,  and  as  a  result  of  the  tor- 
tures inflicted  upon  him  by  the  na- 
tives who  held  him  prisoner  for  some 
time,  he  will  probably  be  a  sufferer 
to  the  end  of  his  days.  A  man,  who 
when  riding  on  a  saddle  studded 
with  sharp  spikes,  can  take  note  of 
the  physical  features  of  the  surround- 
ing country  and  can  calculate  the 
height  of  the  plateau  over  which  he 
is  passing  in  agony  must  be  molded 
from  that  kind  of  stuff  of  which  hero 
adventurers  are  made.  Likewise  does 


he  show  the  power  of  a  purpose  over 
the  dangers  and  difficulties  that 
threaten  to  thwart  it. 

FRIDTJOF  NANSEN. 

Of  the  several  explorers  who  have 
endeavored  to  solve  the  mysteries  of 
the  Arctic  regions,  none  perhaps  is 
better  known  than  Fridtjof  Nansen, 
a  descendant  of  the  old  Vikings.  He 
was  born  in  Christiania,  October  10, 
1861,  and  is  the  son  of  a  lawyer  well 
known  in  Norwegian  legal  circles. 
After  an  education,  which  began  at 
home,  he  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Christiania,,  and  immediate- 
ly began  to  exhibit  those  nomadic 
tendencies  which  distinguish  the  born 
explorer.  His  first  trip  to  the  far 
north  was  in  1882,  when  he  made  a 
voyage  to  the  seas  surrounding 
Greenland.  Returning  with  much 
valuable  geological  and  zoological 
data,  he  was  appointed  curator  of  the 
natural  history  museum  at  Bergen. 
In  1889  he  took  his  second  trip  to  the 
Arctic,  when  he  succeeded  in  cross- 
ing Greenland.  Subsequent  thereto 
he  was  made  curator  of  the  Museum 
of  Comparative  Anatomy  of  Christi- 
ania university.  His  most  memora- 
ble undertaking,  however,  was  in 
1893,  when  he  endeavored  to  reach 
the  North  Pole.  Although  he  did  not 
accomplish  his  object,  he  succeeded 
in  getting  nearer  to  it  than  had  any 
of  his  predecessors.  On  that  occa- 
sion he  spent  three  years  in  the  Arctic 
region,  and  again  returned  laden  with 
data  which,  from  a  scientific  stand- 
point, was  invaluable.  He  was  next 
appointed  professor  of  zoology  of  the 
Christiania  university.  Nansen  has 
published  several  books  dealing  with 
his  life  work,  including  Esquimaux 
Life,  Across  Greenland  and  Farthest 
North.  He  has  also  written  a  num- 
ber of  articles  for  magazines.  He  mar- 
ried Eva  Sears,  who  was  well  known 
in  musical  circles  of  the  continent 


654 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


ROBERT  EDWIN  PEARY. 

Robert  Edwin  Peary,  the  brilliant 
Arctic  explorer,  was  born  at  Cres- 
son,  Pennsylvania,  May  6,  1856.  After 
a  course  in  public  schools  he  entered 
Bowdoin  college,  graduating  there- 
from in  1877.  In  1881  he  was  ap- 
pointed civil  engineer  to  the  United 
States  navy.  From  1884  to  1885  he 
acted  as  assistant  engineer  in  the  sur- 
veys for  the  Nicaraugua  ship  canal, 
and  from  1887  to  1888  was  engineer 
in  charge  of  further  surveys  for  the 
same  project.  In  this  connection  he 
invented  the  rolling  lock-gate  for 
canals.  He  inaugurated  his  career 
as  Arctic  explorer  in  1886,  when  he 
made  his  famous  reconnaissance  of 
the  Greenland  inland  ice  cap,  a  thing 
that  none  of  his  predecessors  had  at- 
tempted. In  1891  he  undertook  an- 
other expedition  to  the  north  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Academy  of  Nat- 
ural Sciences  of  Philadelphia.  He 
also  determined  the  insularity  of 
Greenland,  for  which  he  received 
medals  from  a  number  of  scientific 
organizations.  Still  another  voyage 
was  made  in  1893,  and  a  year  later 
he  discovered  the  famous  Iron  Moun- 
tain, which  proved  to  consist  of  three 
meteorites,  one  of  them  weighing 
ninety  tons.  Some  of  the  meteorites 
he  brought  back  with  him  during  a 
summer  trip  made  in  1896.  In  1898 
he  again  started  north  in  an  endeavor 
to  reach  the  North  Pole,  but  was  not 
successful.  Lieutenant  Peary  married 
Josephine  Diebitsch  in  1888.  He  is 
the  author  of  several  books  on  his 
work  in  the  arctic  regions  and  of  a 
great  many  papers  in  geological  jour- 
nals and  popular  magazines.  He 
once  remarked  that  even  Polar  ice 
would  melt  "by  heat  of  effort,"  mean- 
ing that  any  obstacle  can  be  destroyed 
by  enthusiasm  and  persistency. 

HENRY  MORTON  STANLEY. 

The  career  of  Sir  Henry  M.  Stan- 


ley is  not  only  of  a  more  or  less 
romantic  nature,  but  furnishes  les- 
sons that  are  as  obvious  as  they  are 
useful.  Beginning  life  as  an  un- 
known boy,  he  is  now  one  of  the 
best-known,  as  he  is  the  most  highly 
honored  of  men.  And  he  has  thus 
achieved,  through  the  medium  of  his 
stalwart  mental  and  physical  attri- 
butes. Sir  Henry  was  born  in  Den- 
bigh, Wales,  and  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1856.  He  was  adopt- 
ed by  a  New  Orleans  merchant, 
whose  name  he  now  bears.  Coming 
north,  he  became  connected  with  the 
New  York  Herald,  and  in  1870  was 
sent  to  Africa  by  that  newspaper,  in 
order  to  explore  some  of  the  then  un- 
known sections  of  that  country.  Re- 
turning to  America,  in  1874,  he  was 
ordered  at  brief  notice  by  James  Gor- 
don Bennett,  of  the  Herald,  to  find 
Dr.  Livingston,  the  late  famous  trav- 
eler and  missionary,  from  whom  no 
tidings  had  been  heard  for  some 
time.  Stanley  successfully  carried 
out  the  instructions.  Subsequently 
he  discovered  the  source  of  the  Con- 
go, and  still  later  his  explorations, 
undertaken  at  the  request  of  the 
King  of  Belgium,  resulted  in  the 
foundation  of  the  Congo  Free  State. 
He  also  commanded  the  Emm  Pasha 
relief  expedition.  Since  1895  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  British  parlia- 
ment. His  books  are  many  and  have 
for  the  most  part  to  do  with  his  ad- 
ventures and  experiences  in  Africa. 
He  was  knighted  by  the  late  Queen 
Victoria  for  his  services  to  science  as 
explorer. 

WALTER  WELLMAN. 

Walter  Wellman,  journalist  and 
explorer,  was  born  in  Mentor,  Ohio, 
November  5,  1858.  He  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools,  and  during  his 
boyhood  gave  evidence  of  his  jour- 
nalistic instincts,  for  when  but  four- 
teen years  of  age  he  established  a 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


weekly  newspaper  at  Sutton,,  Nebras- 
ka. When  he  attained  his  majority, 
he  founded  the  Cincinnati  Evening 
Post,  the  venture  being  of  a  success- 
ful nature.  For  many  years  he  was 
political  and  Washington  correspond- 
ent of  the  Chicago  Herald  and 
Times-Herald.  Mr.  Wellman,  in 
1892,  succeeded  in  locating  the  land- 
ing place  of  Christopher  Columbus, 
on  Watling  Island,  in  the  Bahamas, 
and  erected  a  monument  upon  the 
spot  In  1894  he  took  his  initial  trip 


to  the  Arctic  regions,  making  ex- 
plorations on  the  northeastern  coast 
of  Spitzbergen.  Four  years  later  he 
explored  Franz  Josef  Land,  where  he 
discovered  many  new  islands  and 
made  valuable  contributions  to  Arctic 
geography.  As  a  writer  on  subjects 
connected  with  the  frozen  north,  he 
is  well  known  by  reason  of  his  arti- 
cles in  leading  magazines.  He  has 
also  written  on  political  and  general 
topics. 


EDUCATORS. 


ELISHA  BENJAMIN  ANDREWS. 

Elisha  Benjamin  Andrews  was  born 
at  Hinsdale,  New  Hampshire,  Janu- 
ary 10,  1844.  He  received  a  public 
school  education,  meantime  working 
on  a  farm.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war,  although  only  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  enlisted  and  served 
with  distinction,  being  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  second  lieutenant.  A  se- 
vere wound  destroyed  the  sight  of  his 
left  eye,  and  he  received  his  honora- 
ble discharge  in  1864.  Forthwith  pre- 
paring for  college  at  Powers  insti- 
tute, he  later  studied  at  Wesleyan 
academy,  entered  Brown  university 
and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1870.  During  the  two  years  follow- 
ing he  was  principal  of  the  Connecti- 
cut Literary  institute  at  Suffield.  In 
1874  he  graduated  from  the  Newton 
Theological  institution  and  was  the 
same  year  ordained  pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  church,  Beverly,  Mas- 
sachusetts. One  year  after  he  ac- 
cepted the  presidency  of  Denison  uni- 
versity, Granville,  Ohio.  Afterward 
he  held  the  professorship  of  homo- 
letics,  pastoral  theology  and  church 
polity  in  Newton  Theological  institu- 
tion, where  he  remained  three  years. 
and  after  studying  a  year  in  Ger- 
many, he  filled  the  chair  of  professor 


of  history  and  economy  in  Brown 
university.  In  1889  he  was  elected 
president  of  Brown  university.  He 
has  always  been  noted  for  his  interest 
in  public  questions  and  has  been  a 
liberal  contributor  to  magazines  and 
other  periodicals.  He  has  published 
several  books  on  history,  philosophy 
and  economics.  In  1870  he  married 
Ella  A.  Allen,  of  Boston,  and  has 
had  two  children  by  her. 

NICHOLAS  MURRAY  BUTLER. 

Nicholas  Murray  Butler  was  born 
at  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  April  2, 
1862.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  where  his 
father  for  many  years  had  been  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  education.  At 
sixteen  he  entered  Columbia  College, 
New  York,  and  was  graduated  in 
1882.  The  following  year  he  received 
the  degree  of  A.M.  from  his  alma 
mater,  and  in  1884  the  degree  of 
Ph.D.  The  same  year  he  visited  Eu- 
rope, studying  at  the  universities  of 
Berlin  and  Paris.  Upon  returning  to 
America,  in  1886,  he  became  an  in- 
structor in  philosophy  in  Columbia 
college.  In  1890  he  was  made  pro- 
fessor of  philosophy,  ethics  and 
psychology.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  president  of  the  board  of 


656 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


education  of  Paterson,  New  Jersey, 
and  in  1887  he  organized  the  New 
York  college  for  the  training  of 
teachers,  and  which  is  now  the 
Teachers'  college,  Columbia  univer- 
sity. In  1891  he  founded  the  maga- 
zine Educational  Review,  which  he 
has  edited  ever  since  and  which  is 
probably  the  foremost  educational 
publication  in  the  world.  He  is  also 
the  editor  of  the  Teachers'  Profes- 
sional Library  and  has  published  nu- 
merous educational  essays  and  ad- 
dresses. In  1894  he  became  an  ex- 
aminer for  the  state  of  New  York, 
and  in  the  same  year  was  elected 
president  of  the  National  Educa- 
tional association.  In  September, 
1901,  he  was  elected  president  of  Co- 
lumbia university  to  succeed  Seth 
Low.  On  February  7,  1887,  he  mar- 
ried Susanna  Edwards  Schuyler.  One 
daughter  is  the  issue  of  the  union. 

CHARLES    WILLIAM    ELIOT. 

Charles  William  Eliot  was  born  in 
Boston  March  20,  1834.  After  a 
period  spent  in  the  public  schools  he 
was  prepared  for  college  at  the  Bos- 
ton Latin  school,  and  entering  Har- 
vard he  graduated  in  1852.  After 
graduation  he  took  a  position  as  tutor 
of  mathematics  in  Harvard  and  went 
through  an  advanced  course  in  chem- 
istry with  Professor  Josiah  P.  Cook. 
In  1858  he  undertook  a  trip  to  Eu- 
rope to  investigate  its  educational 
methods  and  make  a  further  study  of 
chemistry.  From  1865  to  1869  he 
was  professor  of  analytical  chemistry 
in  the  Massachusetts  institute  of  tech- 
nology. In  1867  he  was  elected  a  fel- 
low of  the  American  academy  of  arts 
and  sciences,  and  also  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  philosophical  so- 
ciety. He  has  delivered  many  note- 
worthy addresses  on  educational  and 
scientific  subjects  and  has  written  a 
number  of  text  books,,  essays  and 
educational  contributions  to  periodi- 


cals. His  principal  worke  are  text- 
books on  chemistry,  which  were  writ- 
ten in  conjunction  with  Professor 
Francis  H.  Storer.  In  1869  he  was 
elected  president  of  Harvard  univer- 
sity. He  is  a  member  of  many  scien- 
tific societies  and  is  regarded  as  an 
authority  on  abstruse  questions  and 
problems  of  chemistry  and  allied 
sciences. 

WILLIAM  HERBERT  PERRY  FAUNCE. 

The  Rev.  W.  H.  P.  Faunce,  D.D., 
the  new  president  of  Brown  univer- 
sity, Providence,  Rhode  Island,  is  not 
an  example  of  success  under  difficul- 
ties. He  has  never  experienced  re- 
verses, and  he  has  always  improved 
his  opportunities.  His  father,  Thomas 
Faunce,  was  a  prominent  clergyman 
at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and 
had  preached  in  Plymouth,  in  that 
state,  which  is  the  home  of  many 
generations  of  the  family.  I  called 
upon  Dr.  Faunce,  and  was  invited 
into  his  study.  He  is  only  forty  years 
of  age,  a  courteous,  broad-minded 
gentleman.  "I  was  born  in  Worces- 
ter," he  said,  "but  received  a  public 
school'  education  at  Concord  and  at 
Lynn,  and  in  1876  entered  Brown 
university.  After  I  was  graduated,  I 
taught  for  a  year  in  mathematics, 
during  the  absence  of  a  professor  in 
Europe.  I  always  intended  to  be- 
come a  minister,  and  I  entered  New- 
ton Theological  Seminary.  Eight 
months  before  graduation,  I  preached 
one  Sunday  in  the  State  Street  Bap- 
tist church,  of  Springfield,  Massachu- 
setts. It  was  a  large  church,  having 
a  membership  of  seven  hundred  and 
fifty.  I  did  not  know  that  the  pulpit 
was  vacant,  and,  peculiarly  enough, 
chose  for  my  text  the  sentence,  'I 
that  speak  unto  you  am  He.'  At  the 
close  of  the  services,  I  was  asked  to 
be  their  pastor,  and,  after  I  was 
graduated  from  the  seminary,  I  was 
ordained.  It  was  in  1889  that  I  was 


657 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


asked  to  preach  as  a  candidate  in  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Baptist  church,  of  New 
York,  which  I  regret  to  leave.  I  re- 
fused to  be  a  candidate;  but  mem- 
bers continually  came  to  Springfield 
to  hear  me,  and  finally  I  was  called 
All  along  I  have  been  more  or  less 
identified  with  college  work,  and  my 
congregation  tell  me  they  have  been 
expecting  I  would  leave  and  devote 
myself  to  educational  lines.  For  a 
number  of  years,  I  have  been  one  of 
a  board  of  preachers  at  Harvard, 
preaching  there  three  weeks  in  the 
autumn,  and  three  in  the  winter,  and 
for  six  weeks  each  summer  (the 
summer  quarter),  at  the  University 
of  Chicago,  where  I  also  taught  in 
theology.  Again,  I  have  preached 
quite  regularly  at  Cornell,  Amherst, 
Wellesley  and  Brown."  "Have  other 
colleges  asked  you  to  become  presi- 
dent?" "Yes;  that  is,  two  official 
boards  of  two  colleges  have  sounded 
and  invited  me,  but  I  considered  that 
my  work  here  was  too  important. 
Brown,  however,  is  my  alma  mater." 
"You  must  spend  much  time  in 
study,"  I  remarked.  "I  have  always 
kept  my  studies  up,"  replied  Dr. 
Faunce.  "I  have  been  abroad  three 
times  to  study  German,  French  and 
philosophy.  I  am  a  great  believer  in 
constant  work."  "Success?  you  ask. 
Why,  success  involves  the  complete 
expression  of  all  of  one's  powers,,  and 
every  one  leaves  a  lasting  impression 
on  the  life  of  the  world.  The  man 
who  is  sincere  in  the  expressing  of 
himself,  in  whatever  line  it  may  be, 
becomes  a  factor  in  the  world.  Gen- 
uine success  is  the  kind  that  is  helpful 
to  others,  as  well  as  to  the  one  who 
is  striving.  Every  other  kind  falls 
short  of  the  mark  and  becomes  stale. 
How  to  achieve  success?  you  ask. 
Show  strong,  absolute  whole-hearted- 
ness  in  whatever  you  undertake; 
throw  yourself,  body,  mind  and  soul, 
into  whatever  you  do.  Patiently  mas- 


ter details.  Most  of  the  men  that  I 
know  who  have  failed  have  ignored 
details, — have  considered  them  petty 
and  insignificant.  They  have  not  re- 
alized the  importance  of  small 
things."  "Do  you  think  the  average 
man  appreciates  this?"  I  asked.  "No." 
Here  Dr.  Faunce  was  called  away  for 
a  moment,  and  I  picked  up  a  book 
of  Browning's  poems.  These  lines  in 
"Christmas  Eve"  were  marked: 

Whom  do  you  count  the  Worse  man  upon  earth? 
Be  sure  he  knows,  in  his  conscience,  more 
Of  what  Right  is.  than  arrives  at  birth. 

When  he  returned  I  asked:  "Do 
you  think  that  the  worse  individual, 
a  useless  member  of  society,  can  ele- 
vate himself  and  be  of  consequence?" 
"Most  decidedly,  and  through  work, 
congenial  work.  The  happiest  hours 
of  a  man's  life  should  be  when  he  is 
working.  A  man  will  not  succeed 
who  is  continually  looking  for  the 
end  of  the  day.  Vacations  are  neces- 
sary, but  they  are  for  the  sake  of 
work  and  success." 

ARTHUR  TWINING  HADLEY. 

The  father  of  Arthur  Twining 
Hadley,  now  president  of  Yale,  was 
Professor  James  Hadley,  a  Yale 
graduate  of  1842.  He  was  a  tutor  at 
Yale  three  years,  and,  in  1857,  he 
took  President  Woolsey's  place  as 
professor  of  Greek.  This  place  he 
held  until  his  death,  in  1872.  His 
mother  was  Ann  Twining,  an  intel- 
lectual woman,  who  completed  the 
full  Yale  course  in  mathematics  be- 
fore the  days  of  the  "new  woman." 
Thus,  young  Hadley  was,  as  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes  might  say,  "fortu- 
nate in  the  choice  of  his  parents." 
He  first  saw  the  light  at  New  Haven, 
April  23,  1856.  Becoming  a  Yale 
graduate,  in  1876,  he  was  the  valedic- 
torian of  his  class.  He  spent  some 
years  in  Berlin,  and  became  a  tutor 
in  1879,  a  lecturer  at  Yale  (and  Har- 


658 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


vard)  on  political  science  in  1883, 
and  a  professor  in  1886.  He  had  also 
done  journalistic  work  on  several 
newspapers.  His  work  on  "Railway 
legislation"  has  been  translated  into 
French  and  German,  and  twice  into 
Russian.  He  made  two  reports  as 
commissioner  of  labor  statistics  for 
Connecticut,  in  1885  and  1886.  He 
wrote,  at  the  Harpers'  solicitation, 
the  article^  on  "Yale"  in  their  well- 
known  vofume,  "Four  Universities." 
In  1891  he  married  Helen  Harrison, 
daughter  of  Governor  Luzon  B.  Mor- 
ris, of  Connecticut.  President  Had- 
ley  is  the  ideal  educator,  learned, 
sympathetic,  progressive  and  possess- 
ing an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
details  and  duties  of  his  onerous  posi- 
tion. 

WILLIAM  TORREY  HARRIS. 

William  Torrey  Harris  was  born 
North  Killingly,  Connecticut,  Sep- 
tember 10,  1835.  He  was  educated  in 
local  common  schools  and  academies,, 
and  for  two  and  a  half  years  was  a 
member  of  the  Yale  college  class  of 
1858,  but  left  before  graduating.  In 
1857  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where,  for 
some  time,  he  acted  as  teacher,  prin- 
cipal, assistant  superintendent  and 
superintendent  of  public  schools.  At 
the  Paris  exposition  of  1878  thirteen 
volumes  of  reports  prepared  by  Mr. 
Harris,  and  contributed  to  the  edu- 
cational exhibit  of  the  United  States, 
attracted  such  attention  that  he  was 
given  the  honorary  title  of  officier 
de  1'Academie.  The  reports  were 
placed  in  the  pedagogical  library  of 
the  Paris  ministry  of  public  instruc- 
tions. When  Mr.  Harris  resigned,  in 
1880,  on  account  of  failing  health,  the 
city  of  St.  Louis  presented  him  with 
a  gold  medal  and  a  purse  of  $1000. 
He  next  visited  Europe,  representing 
the  United  States  bureau  of  educa- 
tion at  the  international  congress  of 
educators  held  at  Brussels  in  1880.  In 


1889  he  again  represented  the  United 
States  bureau  of  education  at  the 
Paris  exposition,  and  on  December 
12  of  the  same  year  he  was  appointed 
United  States  commissioner  of  edu- 
cation and  removed  to  Washington, 
D.  C.  Mr.  Harris  has  contributed 
many  educational  articles  to  the  mag- 
azines and  was  the  founder  of  the 
Journal  of  Speculative  Philosophy. 

HENRY  MITCHELL  MCCRACKEN. 

Henry  Mitchell  McCracken  was 
born  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  September  28, 
1840.  His  early  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools  and  later 
at  Miami  university,  from  whence  he 
graduated  in  1857.  He  also  studied 
at  the  United  Presbyterian  theologi- 
cal seminary  at  Zenia,  Ohio,  at  the 
Princeton  theological  seminary,  and 
at  Tubingen  and  Berlin  universities. 
His  first  professional  work  was  that 
of  a  teacher  of  classics  and  a  public 
school  superintendent.  From  1857  to 
1860  he  was  pastor  of  the  Westmins- 
ter church  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and 
later  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
Toledo,  Ohio.  In  1868,  he  was  elect- 
ed chancellor  of  the  Western  univer- 
sity, at  Pittsburg,  and  in  1880  was 
made  vice-chancellor  and  professor  of 
philosophy  in  the  New  York  univer- 
sity, which  position  he  held  until 
1891,  when  he  was  made  chancellor. 
He  is  the  author  of  numerous  educa- 
tional and  theological  works.  In  1872 
he  married  Catherine  Hubbard.  Chan- 
cellor McCracken's  life  work  has 
had  a  dominating  influence  on  educa- 
tional theories  and  methods  in  this 
country.  His  powers  of  professional 
expansion  have  enabled  him  to  keep 
pace  with  the  drift  of  modern 
thought  and  sentiment. 

WOODROW  WILSON. 

Woodrow  Wilson  was  born  at 
Staunton,  Virginia,  December  28, 
1856.  He  is  of  Scotch  ancestry. 


659 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


After  being  trained  in  private  schools 
of  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  Columbia, 
South  Carolina,  he  graduated  from 
Princeton  in  1879,  and  then  studied 
law  at  the  University  of  Virginia. 
Being  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  prac- 
ticed for  a  year  in  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
and  later  entered  Johns  Hopkins  uni- 
versity for  a  graduating  course  in 
history  and  politics.  In  1885  he  was 
chosen  as  an  instructor  in  history 
and  politics  at  Bryn  Mawr  college 
and  in  1886  he  received  the  degree  of 
Ph.D.  from  Johns  Hopkins  univer- 
sity. In  1888  he  was  a  member  of  the 
faculty  in  Wesleyan  university,  and 


in  1890  was  called  to  the  chair  of 
jurisprudence  at  Princeton.  In  Au- 
gust, 1902,  he  was  elected  president 
of  Princeton  to  succeed  President 
Patton.  He  has  published  a  number 
of  educational  text-books  and  his- 
torical, biographical  and  political 
works.  His  most  recent  and  perhaps 
most  important  work  is  a  history  of 
the  American  people,  issued  in  five 
volumes.  President  Wilson  is  well 
known  as  a  lecturer  on  military  and 
political  subjects,,  through  the  medium 
of  his  contributions  to  various  peri- 
odicals. 


EDITORS. 


HENRY  MILLS  ALDEN. 

Harper's  Magazine  is  one  of  the 
classics  in  the  vast  library  of  monthly 
publications.  Magazines,  like  people, 
have  their  periods  of  elevation  and 
depression.  But  Harper's  has  main- 
tained a  steady  level  of  high-class 
individuality,  this  being  due  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  work  of  Henry 
Mills  Alden,  who,  since  1869,  has 
been  its  editor-in-chief.  Mr.  Alden 
was  born  at  Mount  Tabor,  near  Dan- 
by,  Vermont,  November  n,  1836.  He 
attended  public  school  at  Hoosick 
Falls,  New  York,  graduated  from 
Williams  college  in  1857,  and  from 
the  Andover  theological  seminary  in 
1860,  but  he  never  took  orders.  His 
literary  bent  was  made  manifest  early 
in  life,  and,  after  inu».V  6  _*,«_,  <tl  work 
with  his  pen,  he  became  managing 
editor  of  Harper's  Weekly,  which 
position  he  held  until  he  was  put  in 
charge  of  the  magazine.  For  some 
time  he  was  lecturer  at  the  Lowell 
institute,  Boston.  He  is  the  author 
of  some  religious  books,  and  also  of 
Harper's  Pictorial  History  of  the 
Great  Revolution,  Mr.  A.  H.  Guern- 
sey being  associated  with  him  in  the 


production  of  that  work.  Mr.  Alden's 
life  story  is  that  of  a  man  who,  hav- 
ing a  purpose,  hopes  6n  and  works 
on,  ceasing  not  until  his  hopes  are 
lost  in  full  fruition. 

EDWARD  WILLIAM  BOK. 

Edward  William  Bok,  who,  since 
1888,  has  been  the  editor  of  the  La- 
dies' Home  Journal,  was  born  in 
Helder,  Holland,,  October  9,  1863.  He 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents 
when  six  years  of  age  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Brook- 
lyn. He  then  learned  stenography 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  West- 
ern Union  Telegraph  Company.  Find- 
ing that  his  position  had  no  future 
for  him,  he,  in  1884,  became  connect- 
ed with  the  firm  of  Henry  Holt  & 
Co.,  publishers,  and  later  with  the 
Scribner  firm,  with  which  he  re- 
mained. His  industry  and  integrity 
gained  for  him  the  respect  of  his  em- 
ployers, and  when  finally  he  became 
desirous  of  securing  the  control  of 
the  publication  of  which  he  is  now 
owner,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  obtain- 
ing the  needed  capital  with  which  to 
accomplish  his  desires.  Mr.  Bok  is 


660 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


married  and  is  the  author  of  "A 
Young  Man  In  Business,"  "Success- 
ward,"  etc. 

JAMES  MONROE  BUCKLEY. 

Of  the  several  publications  which 
voice  the  views  of  the  religious 
world,  perhaps  none  is  better  known 
or  more  generally  read  than  is  the 
New  York  Christian  Advocate.  Un- 
der the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
James  M.  Buckley,  the  Advocate  has 
become  more  than  a  mere  reflex  of 
the  opinions  of  its  contributors.  It 
is  a  power  for  good  and  the  extent 
of  its  usefulness  is  only  bounded  by 
the  limits  of  its  circulation,  which 
are  world-wide.  Dr.  Buckley  was 
born  in  Rahway,  New  Jersey,  De- 
cember 16,  1836,  his  father  being  the 
Rev.  John  Buckley.  Educated  at 
first  in  Pennington,  New  Jersey, 
seminary,  he  later  spent  a  year  in 
the  Wesleyan  university,  and  after- 
ward studied  theology  at  Exeter, 
New  Hampshire.  He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  Hampshire  confer- 
ence of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  1858,  was  called  to  Troy  in 
1863,  and  to  Brooklyn  three  years 
later.  Dr.  Buckley  has  traveled  ex- 
tensively, and  no  small  portion  of  the 
popularity  of  his  work  on  the  Advo- 
cate is  due  to  the  wide  experience  of 
men  and  manners  which  he  acquired 
during  his  wanderings  abroad  and  in 
this  country.  He  is  the  author  of 
several  books,  including  Travels  on 
Three  Continents,  Land  of  the  Czar 
and  the  Nihilists,  The  History  of 
Methodism  in  the  United  States  and 
others.  Dr.  Buckley's  literary  work 
in  general  is  distinguished  by  a 
breadth  of  view  and  a  charity  of 
spirit  which  are  only  possible  to  the 
man  of  large  mind  and  wide  horizons. 

RICHARD  WATSON  GILDER. 

If  a  magazine  contributor  was 
asked  what,  in  his  opinion,  represent- 


ed the  ultimate  happiness  of  his  ilk,  he 
would  probably  reply,  "the  editorship 
of  the  Century."  That  enviable  posi- 
tion is  at  present  held  by  Richard  W. 
Gilder,  and  that  Mr.  Gilder  has  done 
honor  to  the  wisdom  which  placed 
him  in  the  editorial  chair,  is  made 
manifest  by  the  body  matter  of  the 
magazine  itself.  He  was  born  in 
Bordentown,  New  Jersey,  February 
8,  1844,  his  father  being  the  Rev. 
William  H.  Gilder,  and  he  was  edu- 
cated in  the  seminary  established  by 
his  father  at  Flushing,  Long  Island. 
In  1863  he  became  a  private  in  Lan- 
dis'  Philadelphia  battery,  and,  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  had 
a  year's  experience  as  a  railroad  man. 
Later  he  was  correspondent,  and 
afterward  managing  editor,  of  the 
Newark  (New  Jersey)  Advertiser. 
From  that  time  on  Mr.  Gilder  has 
lived  in  an  editorial  atmosphere.  In 
connection  with  Newton  Crane  he 
established  the  Newark  Register, 
next  edited  the  defunct  New  York 
monthly  publication  called  Powers  at 
Home,  made  his  mark  while  so  doing, 
attracted  the  notice  of  the  Scribner 
management,  and  was  made  manag- 
ing editor  of  its  magazine  in  1870  and 
editor-in-chief  in  1881.  Mr.  Gilder 
has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  move- 
ments and  organizations  which  had 
for  their  object  the  improvement  of 
municipal  conditions.  He  has  held 
office  as  chairman  of  the  New  York 
tenement  house  commission,  was  the 
first  president  of  the  New  York  kin- 
dergarten association  and  is  president 
of  the  Public  Art  League  of  the 
United  States.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  City  club  and  of  the  Civil 
Service  Reform  league.  His  pub- 
lished books  of  poems  include  The 
Celestial  Passion.  Five  Books  of 
Songs  and  Two  Worlds. 

GEORGE  BURTON  MCCLELLAN  HARVEY. 
One   of   the   most   prominent,    as 


66l 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


well  as  one  of  the  youngest  occu- 
pants of  an  editorial  chair  is  George 
Burton  McClellan  Harvey,  who  is 
president  of  the  famous  publishing 
firm  of  Harper  &  Brothers  and 
editor  of  the  North  American  Re- 
view. He  was  born  at  Peachan,  Ver- 
mont, February  16,  1864,  being  the 
son  of  Duncan  and  Margaret  S. 
(Varnum)  Harvey.  Educated  at 
Peachan  Academy,  Mr.  Harvey  be- 
gan his  journalistic  life  by  becoming 
reporter  on  the  Springfield  (Massa- 
chusetts) Republican.  Subsequently 
he  was  on  the  reportorial  staff  of  the 
Chicago  News  and  the  New  York 
Herald,  of  which  latter  newspaper  he 
was  eventually  made  managing  edi- 
tor. He  bought  the  North  American 
Review  in  March,  1899,  and  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Harper  & 
Brothers'  affairs  a  year  later.  Not- 
withstanding the  onerous  nature  of 
his  editorial  duties,  Mr.  Harvey  finds 
time  to  act  as  president  of  several 
electric  railroads,  in  the  construction 
of  which  he  was  also  interested.  Gov- 
ernors Green  and  Abbott,  of  New 
Jersey,  respectively  appointed  him 
colonel  and  aide-de-camp  on  their 
staffs.  The  irresistible  force  of  char- 
acter and  ability  properly  directed  is 
shown  by  the  career  of  Mr.  Harvey. 

GEORGE  HOWARD  LORI  HER. 

Horace  Greeley  is  credited  with  the 
aphorism  that  "It  is  the  man  and  not 
the  machine,  the  editor  and  not  the 
newspaper,  that  brings  about  the 
smooth  running  of  the  first  and  the 
popularity  of  the  second."  George 
Howard  Lorimer,  editor-in-chief  of 
the  Saturday  Evening  Post,  furnishes 
an  excellent  illustration  of  the  verity 
of  Greeley's  assertion.  Under  his 
management,  the  Post  has,  during 
the  past  few  years,  attained  a  popu- 
larity which  was  forbidden  to  it  be- 
fore he  took  charge  of  its  affairs. 
The  Post  was  founded  by  Benjamin 


Franklin,  and  it  is  the  policy  of  Mr. 
Lorimer  to  retain  somewhat  of  the 
quaint  features  of  its  earlier  issues, 
but  he  weds  them  to  modern  methods. 
By  means  of  this  policy  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  galvanizing  a  moribund 
publication  into  active  and  prosper- 
ous life.  Mr.  Lorimer  was  born  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  October  6,  1868, 
and  is  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  George 
and  Belle  (Burford)  Lorimer.  He 
was  educated  at  the  Moseley  high 
school  in  Chicago,  and  took  courses 
at  Colby  and  Yale  universities.  In 
1893  he  married  Alma  Viola,  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Alfred  Ennis,  of  Chi- 
cago. Mr.  Lorimer  has,  through  the 
medium  of  the  Saturday  Evening 
Post,  proven  that  literary  matter  of 
a  helpful  and  elevating  nature  can  be 
made  as  attractive  to  the  average 
reader  as  so-called  "popular  fiction." 

WHITELAW  REID. 

Whitelaw  Reid,  the  editor  of  the 
New  York  Tribune,  was  born  in 
Xenia,  Ohio,  October  27,  1837,  and  is 
a  graduate  of  Miami  university,  Ox- 
ford, Ohio.  After  leaving  college  Mr. 
Reid  entered  journalism,  becoming 
editor  of  the  Xenia  News.  In  1860 
he  was  legislative  correspondent,  and 
a  year  later  was  war  correspondent 
for  several  newspapers.  In  1862  he 
became  Washington  representative  of 
the  Cincinnati  Gazette.  After  a  period 
spent  in  the  service  of  the  govern- 
ment, including  the  acting  as  libra- 
rian in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
Mr.  Reid  in  1866  tried  his  hand  at 
cotton  planting  in  Louisiana.  But  the 
newspaper  instinct  was  too  strong 
in  him  to  warrant  his  being  anything 
but  a  writer.  In  1868,  therefore,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  editorial 
staff  of  the  Tribune;  in  1869  he  was 
appointed  its  managing  editor  and 
has  been  its  editor-in-chief  and  prac- 
tical proprietor  since  1872.  In  1877 
he  declined  the  appointment  of  United 


662 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


States  minister  to  Germany  and 
again  in  1881.  In  1889  he  was  United 
States  minister  to  France,  was  spe- 
cial ambassador  from  this  country  to 
Queen  Victoria's  Jubilee  in  1897,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Peace  commis- 
sion in  Paris  in  1898.  He  was  nomi- 
nated for  the  vice-presidency  in  1892. 
Mr.  Reid  is  the  author  of  a  number  HENRY  WATTERSON. 


ber  of  many  learned  societies  and  is 
well  known  on  the  lecture  platforms 
of  the  universities  and  colleges  of 
this  country.  Mr.  Shaw  is  an  excel- 
lent example  of  the  value  of  thorough 
preparatory  work  looking  to  a  given 
career. 


of  books  on  political  and  journalistic 
questions.  His  life  has  been  full  of 
many  but  faithfully  discharged  duties. 

ALBERT  SHAW. 

Albert  Shaw,  editor  of  the  Ameri- 
can Review  of  Reviews,  was  born  in 
Shandon,  Butler  county,  Ohio,  July 
23,  1857.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Grif- 
fin and  Susan  (Fisher)  Shaw,  Grad- 
uating from  Iowa  college,  Grinnell, 
Iowa,  in  1879,  he  became  part  owner 
of  the  Grinnell  Herald,  while  taking 
a  post-graduate  course  in  constitu- 
tional history  and  economic  science. 
He  also  studied  history  and  political 
science  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  univer- 
sity. All  this  was  preparatory  to  en- 
tering the  profession  which  he  had 
chosen  as  his  life  work.  Next  he  be- 
came editorial  writer  on  the  Minne- 
apolis Tribune  in  1882,  studied  jour- 
nalism in  Europe  for  a  year,  and  in 
1891  began  to  conduct  the  well- 
known  publication  with  which  he  is 
now  identified.  Mr.  Shaw  is  the  au- 
thor of  a  number  of  works  on  munic- 
ipal government  and  political 
science,  on  which  subjects  he  is  ac- 
cepted as  an  authority.  He  is  a  mem- 


Henry  Watterson,  who  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  editorial  policy  of  the 
Louisville  Courier- Journal,  was  born 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  February  16, 
1840.  He  was  educated  by  private 
tutors,  this  owing  to  his  being  threat- 
ened with  blindness.  During  the  war 
he  acted  as  staff  officer  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  When  peace  was  es- 
tablished he  at  once  engaged  in 
newspaper  work,  and  has  ever  since 
been  more  or  less  conspicuous  in  the 
field  of  journalism.  Elected  a  mem- 
ber of  congress  in  1875,  ne  nas  since, 
although  repeatedly  offered  office, 
uniformly  declined  it.  He  was  dele- 
gate-at-large  from  Kentucky  for  six 
Democratic  national  conventions.  Mr. 
Watterson  is  not  only  distinguished  as 
a  journalist  and  author,  but  he  has  a 
well-deserved  reputation  as  an  ora- 
tor. His  command  of  the  English 
language,  allied  to  his  general  wit 
and  braininess,  have  made  his  editor- 
ials famous  throughout  the  country. 
He  is  the  author  of  works  on  the 
Civil  war  and  others.  In  1865  he 
married  the  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Andrew  Ewing,  of  Tennessee. 


PUBLISHERS. 


FRANK  NELSON  DOUBLEDAY. 

The  founder  of  the  flourishing 
publishing  house  of  Doubleday,  Page 
&  Co.,  of  New  York,  is  Frank  Nel- 
son Doubleday,  who  was  born  in 
Brooklyn  in  1862,  being  the  son  of 
W.  E.  Doubleday.  He  was  educated 


at  the  Polytechnic  institute  of  the 
City  of  Churches,  and  during  his 
school  days  gave  indications  of  his 
future  career,  for  before  he  had  fin- 
ished his  studies  he  had  established 
quite  a  flourishing  job  printing  busi- 
ness among  his  schoolmates  and 


663 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


friends.  When  fifteen  years  of  age 
he  got  a  position  with  the  Scribners 
as  errand  boy,  remaining  with  the 
firm  for  many  years  in  a  number  of 
capacities.  He  founded  the  publica- 
tion entitled  "The  Book  Buyer,"  and 
when  Scribner's  Magazine  was  start- 
ed he  was  made  its  manager  and  pub- 
lisher. The  average  young  man 
would  have  been  contented  with  this 
position,  which  was  honorable,  pro- 
fessionally, and  lucrative,  financially. 
But  young  Doubleday  was  ambitious, 
and  so  in  1897  he  joined  the  S.  S. 
McClure  Company.  After  a  brief 
stay  with  them,  he  formed  the  Dou- 
bleday &  McClure  Co.,  book  pub- 
lishers. The  firm  flourished  and  pub- 
lished many  works  of  well-known 
authors,  including  Rudyard  Kipling's 
"Day's  Work."  It  was  at  this  time 
that  a  close  friendship  was  formed 
between  Mr.  Doubleday  and  the  fa- 
mous author.  In  1900  Doubleday, 
Page  &  Co.  came  into  existence,  as- 
sociated with  the  senior  partner  being 
W.  H.  Page,  former  editor  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  H.  W.  Lanier,  who  is 
a  son  of  the  poet,  Sydney  Lanier,  and 
others.  The  firm  established  World's 
Work,  a  magazine  that  achieved  an 
immediate  success.  Another  venture 
of  the  company  was  "Country  Life 
in  America,"  which  is  typographically 
and  artistically  very  beautiful.  This 
magazine,  too,  was  an  emphatic  suc- 
cess. He  married  Neltje  de  Graff, 
a  descendant  of  a  historic  Dutch 
family.  Mrs.  Doubleday  is  the  author 
of  a  number  of  works,  many  of  which 
have  to  do  with  natural  history  sub- 
jects, including  "Bird  Neighbors" 
and  "Nature's  Garden,"  both  of 
which  are  well  known  to  students  of 
nature. 

ISAAC  KAUFFMAN  FUNK. 

Originality  has  been  a  powerful 
factor  in  the  career  of  the  noted 
clergyman,  editor  and  publisher,  the 


Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Kauffman  Funk.  He 
was  born  at  Clifton,  Greene  county, 
Ohio,  September  10,  1839.  His  pa- 
rents, John  and  Martha  (Kauffman) 
Funk,  were  descendants  of  early  Hol- 
land-Swiss emigrants  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. Graduating  from  Whittenberg 
college,  Springfield,  Ohio,  with  the 
degree  of  D.D.,  he  from  this  same 
institution,  in  1896,  received  the  de- 
gree of  LL.D.  From  1861  to  1872  he 
was  engaged  in  active  work  in  the 
Lutheran  ministry.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  resigned  his  pastorate 
and  traveled  extensively  in  Europe, 
Egypt  and  Palestine.  Upon  return- 
ing to  America  he  became  associate 
editor  of  the  Christian  Radical.  In 
1876  he  founded  and  published  in 
New  York  city  the  Metropolitan  Pul- 
pit, now  the  Homiletic  Review,  act- 
ing as  its  editor-in-chief.  His  former 
college  classmate,  Adam  W.  Wag- 
nails,  a  lawyer  of  Atchison,  Kansas, 
became  in  1877  his  partner,  and  the 
firm  name  was  changed  to  I.  K.  Funk 
&  Co.,  and  later,  in  1891,  to  Funk  & 
Wagnalls  Co.  Their  several  branch 
houses  in  Canada  and  England,  as 
well  as  their  many  published  books 
which  have  met  with  public  favor, 
testified  to  the  business  successes  of 
the  members  of  the  concern.  Dr. 
Funk  is  the  founder  of  some  well- 
known  periodicals,  among  which  The 
Voice,  The  Literary  Digest  and  The 
,  Missionary  Review  are  the  most  im- 
portant. He  also  published  a  stand- 
ard dictionary  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, of  which  he  was  editor-in- 
chief.  The  production  of  this  work 
was  a  gigantic  undertaking,  costing 
nearly  one  million  dollars. 

WILLIAM  RANDOLPH  HEARST. 

It  is  usually  supposed,  and  rightly 
so,  that  a  young  man  who  inherits 
much  wealth  is  not  very  likely  to 
make  his  mark  in  the  world.  The 
career  of  William  Randolph  Hearst 


664 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


furnishes  an  exception  to  the  general 
rule,  however,  for,  in  spite  of  being 
handicapped  by  a  comfortable  for- 
tune, he  has  achieved  no  small  repu- 
tation as  a  newspaper  editor  and  pub- 
lisher. Mr.  Hearst  was  born  in  San 
Francisco,  California,  and  is  the  son 
of  the  late  United  States  Senator 
George  F.  Hearst.  He  is  the  owner 
of  the  San  Francisco  Examiner  and 
other  well-known  newspapers.  In 
1895  he  bought  the  New  York  Jour- 
nal, later  purchasing  the  Advertiser 
and  consolidating  it  with  the  Jour- 
nal to  secure  a  franchise.  In  1900 
he  founded  the  Chicago  American, 
which  paper  has  the  largest  morning 
circulation  in  the  city  in  which  it  is 
published.  At  present  Mr.  Hearst  is 
publishing  altogether  five  large  news- 
papers :  two  in  New  York,  two  in 
Chicago  and  one  in  San  Francisco. 
He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  theory 
of  so-called  "yellow  journalism," 
claiming  that  with  its  help  he  reaches 
the  masses.  His  papers  are  noted 
chiefly  for  their  brilliant  editorials. 
Mr.  Hearst  advocates  the  cause  of 
the  laboring  classes,  is  a  member  of 
congress,  has  been  mentioned  as  a 
possible  candidate  for  the  Presiden- 
tial nomination  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  in  1904. 

EDWARD  EVERETT  HIGGINS. 

If  you  should  ask  Edward  E.  Hig- 
gins,  the  publisher  of  Success,  what 
are  the  characteristics  which  have 
given  him  his  present  position  in  the 
publishing  world,  he  would  doubt- 
less reply,  "Courage,  persistence  and 
patience."  He  has  had  an  unusually 
varied  training  and  experience.  He 
was  born  on  April  4,  1864,  in  Chel- 
sea, Massachusetts,  and,  after  a  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  local  gram- 
mar and  high  schools,  which  were 
then  considered  among  the  best  in  the 
state,  he  entered  the  Massachusetts 
Institute  of  Technology  and  was 


graduated  as  an  electrical  engineer 
in  1886.  He  obtained  there  the 
mathematical  training  which  has  re- 
mained with  him  ever  since,  and 
which  has  contributed  not  a  little  to 
his  acknowledged  power  of  distin- 
guishing between  the  possible  and 
the  impossible  in  both  engineering 
and  business  matters.  Foreseeing  the 
great  future  of  the  electric  street  rail- 
road, he  became  associated,  in  its 
earliest  development,  with  the 
Sprague  and  Edison  companies,  and 
it  was  largely  through  his  efforts  that 
electricity  was  first  introduced  into 
Buffalo  and  other  cities  of  New  York 
state.  Acquiring  a  large  fund  of  in- 
formation on  street  railroad  matters 
at  home  and  abroad,  Mr.  Higgins  be- 
came, in  1893,  the  editor  of  the  Street 
Railway  Journal,  and  has  won  an 
international  reputation  as  a  statisti- 
cal,, engineering  and  financial  expert 
on  street  railway  matters.  In  1899  he 
perceived  an  opportunity  to  develop 
a  large  and  important  home  publica- 
tion from  what  was  then  a  small  and 
struggling  periodical — Success — and 
acquired  an  interest,  intending  that  it 
should  be  merely  a  side  issue.  But 
the  phenomenally  rapid  growth  of 
Success  soon  called  for  Mr.  Higgins' 
entire  time,  and  the  result  is  seen  in 
the  fact  that  Success,  with  its  circu- 
lation of  over  300,000,  now,  after  only 
four  years'  time,  is  one  of  the  first 
half-dozen  American  magazines  in 
circulation,  prestige  and  general 
standing,  and  no  paper  is  more  use- 
ful or  valuable  in  the  home. 

Louis  KLOPSCH. 

No  better  example  of  the  zealous 
religious  worker,,  disinterested  bene- 
factor and  talented  journalist  can  be 
cited  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
Louis  Klopsch.  He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, March  26,  1852,  receiving  only 
a  common  school  education.  In 
1886,  after  having  removed  to  New 


665 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


York,  he  married  May  E.,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Stephen  Merritt.  Be- 
coming interested  in  newspaper  work, 
he  became  the  proprietor  of  the  Daily 
Reporter,  New  York.  He  was  also 
owner  of  the  Pictorial  Associated 
Press  from  1884  to  1890,  and  has  had 
charge  of  the  Talmage  sermon  syndi- 
cate since  1885.  On  his  return  from 
Palestine,  in  1890,  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Christian  Herald, 
which  he  purchased  in  1892.  Since 
that  time  he  has,  through  his  paper, 
raised  and  distributed  nearly  $3,000,- 
ooo  in  international  charities.  In 
recognition  of  his  relief  work,  during 
the  Russian  famine  of  1892,  he  was 
received  by  the  Czar  of  Russia,  and 
in  1898  the  English  and  Indian  gov- 
ernments extended  official  thanks  to 
him  for  his  services  in  behalf  of 
famine-stricken  India.  President 
McKinley  appointed  him  one  of  the 
three  commissioners  in  charge  of  the 
relief  of  the  starving  Reconcentra- 
does  in  Cuba,  and  for  this  purpose  he 
raised  nearly  $200,000.  In  the  spring 
of  1900,  accompanied  by  Gilson  Wil- 
lets,  Mr.  Klopsch  visited  the  famine 
and  cholera  fields  of  India,  and 
through  his  paper,  in  six  months' 
time,  secured  a  fund  of  $700,000  for 
their  relief.  He  has  also  guaranteed 
the  support  of  five  thousand  famine 
orphans  in  India. 

SAMUEL  SIDNEY  MCCLURE. 

One  of  the  leading  magazine  pub- 
lishers of  to-day,  Samuel  Sidney  Mc- 
Clure,  was  born  in  County  Antrim, 
Ireland,  February  17,  1857.  Being  an 
ambitious  youth,,  he  naturally  turned 
to  America,  "the  land  of  opportu- 
nity." By  his  own  earnest  efforts  he 
succeeded  in  securing  a  liberal  edu- 
cation, being  graduated  from  Knox 
college,  Illinois,  in  1882,  obtaining 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  1887.  Sep- 
tember 4,  1883,  he  was  married  to 
Harriet,  daughter  of  Professor  Al- 


bert Hurd,  of  Knox  college,  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois.  He  established,  in 
November,  1884,  a  newspaper  syndi- 
cate, and  in  1893  he  founded  Mc- 
Clure's  Magazine,  which  ranks  among 
the  most  popular  periodicals  of  the 
day.  His  national  reputation  is  large- 
ly due  to  this  enterprise.  His  execu- 
tive ability  has  made  him  the  presi- 
dent of  the  S.  S.  McClure  Company, 
and  he  has  been  a  trustee  of  Knox 
college  since  1894.  Mr.  McClure  has 
discovered  and  recognized  a  human 
need,  and  by  filling  that  need  is  realiz- 
ing his  well-merited  success. 

FRANK  ANDREW  MUNSEY. 

The  rise  of  Frank  A.  Munsey  from 
a  poor  postoffice  clerk  in  Augusta, 
Maine,  to  the  head  of  one  of  the 
most  profitable  publishing  houses  in 
the  world  has  been  as  rapid  as  it  is 
remarkable.  His  only  capital  when 
he  began  his  current  business  were 
his  ideas  and  his  nerve;  yet,  in  less 
than  ten  years,  he  has  made  a  for- 
tune. Mr.  Munsey  was  born  in  Mer- 
cer, Maine,  August  21,  1854,  the  son 
of  Andrew  C.  and  Mary  J.  Munsey. 
After  securing  an  ordinary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Maine, 
he  began  his  business  career  in  a 
country  store,  and  later  became  man- 
ager of  the  Western  Union  telegraph 
office  of  Augusta,  Maine.  When,  in 
1882,  he  went  to  New  York  and  start- 
ed the  Golden  Argosy,  a  juvenile 
weekly  (now  the  adult  monthly,  The 
Argosy),  his  friends  thought  he  was 
as  unwise  as  he  was  reckless.  It  is 
said  that  some  of  them  actually  pro- 
posed an  inquiry  into  his  sanity.  Hav- 
ing made  money  by  The  Argosy,  he 
invested  it,  in  1890,  in  a  magazine, 
launching  Munsey's  Weekly,  which 
he  converted  October,,  1891,  into 
Munsey's  Magazine.  He  now  also 
publishes  The  Puritan  and  the  Junior 
Munsey,  besides  newspapers  in  New 
York  and  Washington.  Although 


666 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


more  widely  known  as  a  publisher 
than  an  author,  he  has  written  sev- 
eral books,  including  Afloat  in  a 
Great  City,  1887;  Boy  Broker,  1888; 
Tragedy  of  Errors,  1889 ;  Under  Fire, 
1890,  and  Deering  Forte,  1895. 

JOSEPH  PULITZER. 

Extraordinary  energy  and  execu- 
tive ability  and  a  Napoleonic  faculty 
of  perceiving  and  utilizing  the  talents 
of  others,  are  the  qualities  upon 
which  the  journalist  and  publisher, 
Joseph  Pulitzer,  has  built  his  reputa- 
tion and  his  fortune.  He  was  born 
in  Buda-Pesth,  Hungary,  April  10, 
1847,  and,  after  receiving  a  classical 
education  in  his  native  city,  came  to 
the  United  States  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen. For  two  years  he  served  as  a 
private  soldier  in  the  Federal  Army, 
and,  afterward,  failing  to  gain  a 
foothold  in  New  York  city,  he  went 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  became  a  re- 
porter on  the  Westliche  Post,  a  Ger- 
man newspaper  then  edited  by  Carl 
Schurz.  Studying  law,  he  was  next 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  Missouri. 
Then  he  was  made  managing  editor 
of  the  Post,  and  in  1869  was  sent  to 
the  Missouri  legislature.  In  .1878  he 
bought  the  St.  Louis  Dispatch,  unit- 
ing it  with  the  Evening  Post  as  the 
St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch,  which  is 
now  one  of  the  most  successful  pub- 
lications of  the  west.  In  1883  Mr. 
Pulitzer  purchased  the  New  York 
World,  which,  thanks  to  his  journal- 
istic genius,  is  now  one  of  the  most 
widely  read  newspapers  published  in 
New  York  city.  He  was  elected  to 
congress  in  New  York  for  the  term 
of  1885  to  1887.  In  1890  he  erected 
in  Park  Row  one  of  the  most  strik- 
ing and  costly  newspaper  buildings 
in  the  United  States.  In  1896  he  was 
a  ctrong  advocate  of  the  National 
(gold  standard)  Democratic  party. 
Mr.  Pulitzer  has  always  been  distin- 


guished by  his  generous  and  cour- 
teous treatment  of  his  subordinates. 

JOHN  BRISBEN  WALKER. 

Among  the  leading  magazine  edi- 
tors of  to-day  is  John  Brisben  Wal- 
ker, the  author  and  publisher  of  the 
Cosmopolitan  Magazine*  who  is  also 
the  founder  of  Cosmopolitan  uni- 
versity. He  was  born  in  western 
Pennsylvania,  September  10,  1847, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Anna 
(Krepps)  Walker,  and  his  early  edu- 
cation was  received  at  Gonzaga  Clas- 
sical School,  Washington,  D.  C.  In 
1863,  he  entered  Georgetown  univer- 
sity, remaining  there  until  he  received 
appointment  to  the  United  States 
military  academy  at  West  Point,  in 
1865.  In  1868,  however,  he  entered 
the  Chinese  military  service,  in  which 
he  remained  for  two  years.  Return- 
ing to  America,  he  was  married,  in 
1870,  to  Emily,  daughter  of  General 
David  Hunter  Strother.  For  the  next 
three  years  he  was  engaged  in  manu- 
facturing in  western  Pennsylvania. 
In  1872  he  was  a  candidate  for  con- 
gress on  the  Republican  ticket,  but 
was  defeated.  During  the  panic  of 
1873  his  entire  fortune  was  swept 
away.  But,  in  spite  of  political  and 
financial  failure,  Mr.  Walker  rapidly 
forged  to  the  front  again.  He  next 
entered  in  journalism,  and  for  three 
years  was  managing  editor  of  the 
Washington  (D.  C.)  Chronicle.  Then 
he  moved  to  Colorado,  and  for  about 
nine  years  was  a  successful  alfalfa 
farmer  in  that  State.  In  1889  he 
located  in  New  York,  and  bought  the 
Cosmopolitan  Magazine,  of  which  he 
is  still  the  editor.  The  entire  plant 
was  moved  to  Irvington-on-Hudson 
in  1895.  While  Mr.  Walker  has 
achieved  notable  success  in  the  maga- 
zine business,  the  most  notable  work 
of  his  life  was  the  founding  of  the 
Cosmopolitan  university  in  1896. 


667 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


ORATORS. 


ALBERT  J.  BEVERIDGE. 

When  the  Indiana  legislature  elect- 
ed Albert  J.  Beveridge  to  the  United 
States  senate  in  189%,  he  was  but 
thirty-six  years  of  age,  and  with  one 
exception  was  the  youngest  member 
of  the  distinguished  body  in  question. 
Mr.  Beveridge  was  born  October  6, 
1862,  in  a  log  cabin  of  Highland 
county,  Ohio,  his  father  being  a  small 
farmer.  When  the  war  broke  out  the 
year  preceding  his  birth,  his  father 
and  his  four  half-brothers  entered  the  CHAMP  CLARK. 


1884,  and,  as  someone  has  put  it,  he 
turned  out  to  be  "a  revelation,  a 
dream  of  oratory  and  a  trip-hammer 
of  argument."  His  fame  as  a  speaker 
being  established,  he  was  in  ^demand 
in  all  directions.  His  subsequent  ca- 
reer is  well-known  to  the  public  at 
large.  In  1887  he  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine Maud  Langsdale,  daughter  of 
George  J.  Langsdale,  the  editor  of  a 
well-known  paper  in  Indiana. 


army,  while  his  mother  volunteered 
as  a  nurse.  Moving  to  Illinois,  they 
settled  near  Sullivan,  renting  a  small 
farm  there.  At  the  age  of  ten  the 
future  senator  was  a  full-fledged 
-farm  hand.  At  fourteen  he  was  a 
railroad  laborer  and  at  sixteen  joined 
a  logging  camp.  Whenever  he  could 
find  no  work  he  attended  school.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  young  Bever- 
idge heard  that  the  district  cadetship 
for  West  Point  was  to  be  filled  by 
competitive  examination.  He  was  one 
of  the  competitors,  and,  although 
practically  self-educated,  took  second 
place  on  a  list  of  twenty-five.  In 
1881  he  managed  to  enter  De  Paw 
university,  his  capital  consisting  of 
$50.  By  wheat-cutting  in  the  sum- 
mer, serving  as  a  steward  in  the  col- 
lege club,  and  winning  money  prizes 
offered  to  students,  he  managed  to 
pay  his  way.  Graduating  from  col- 
lege with  high  honors,  he  went  direct 
to  Indianapolis,,  called  on  General 
Benjamin  Harrison  and  asked  per- 
mission to  study  law  with  him.  Fail- 
ing in  this,  he  obtained  employment 
with  Messrs.  McDonald,  Butler  & 
Mason,  well-known  lawyers  at  the 


Through  the  medium  of  a  highly 
successful  career,  Champ  Clark,  who 
has  a  national  reputation  as  stump 
speaker  and  forensic  orator,  fur- 
nishes yet  another  illustration  of  the 
possibilities  that  lie  before  the  young 
American  who  determines  to  "get 
there."  Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  An- 
derson county,  Kentucky,  March  7, 
1850.  First  educated  in  the  local 
schools,  he  later  studied  at  the  Ken- 
tucky university,  Bethany  college  and 
the  Cincinnati  law  school.  In  order 
to  support  himself  while  acquiring 
his  education,  he  worked  as  a  farm 
hand,  a  clerk  in  a  country  store,  an 
editor  of  a  country  newspaper,  and 
finally  as  a  lawyer.  Not  long  after 
he  had  begun  to  practice  law  for  a 
livelihood  he  commenced  to  take  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs  and 
was  at  length  elected  city  attorney 
of  Louisiana,  Mo.,  and  later  for 
Bowling  Green,  Mo.  He  has  served 
as  prosecuting  attorney  of  Pike  coun- 
ty, and  since  1893,  has  been  a  member 
of  congress  from  the  Ninth  Missouri 
district.  Mr.  Clark's  eloquence,  apart 
from  his  other  notable  qualities, 
makes  him  a  prominent  figure  in 
congressional  affairs. 


Indiana  capital,  and  soon  became  a 

third  partner  in  the  firm.    In  1889  he 

opened  an  office  of  his  own,  and  his  WILLIAM  BOURKE  COCKRAN. 

first  fee  was  from  Governor  Hovey.         W.    B.    Cockran,    the    well-known 

His   initial  political   speech   was    in     lawyer  and  politician,  who  is  also  one 

668 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


of  the  most  popular  orators  before 
the  public,  was  born  in  Ireland,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1854.  He  was  educated  in 
that  country,  and  later  in  France. 
When  he  landed  in  New  York  in 
1871,  he  knew  no  one  in  America  and 
had  exactly  one  hundred  dollars  in 
his  wallet.  But  he  was  well  edu- 
cated, of  marked  ability,  and  ambi- 
tious to  the  highest  degree.  Failing 
to  secure  something  better,  he  be- 
came clerk  in  A.  T.  Stewart's  store. 
A  month  later,  however,  he  obtained 
a  position  as  teacher  in  a  public 
school  on  Rutgers  street,  where  he 
taught  French,  Latin  and  history. 
Still  later  he  accepted  an  appointment 
as  principal  in  a  public  school  in 
Westchester.  But  at  this  period  Mr. 
Cockran  had  mapped  out  his  future. 
He  had  determined  to  become  a  law- 
yer, and  when  on  Saturdays  his  time 
was  his  own,  he  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  the  late  Chauncey  Schaffer. 
Saving  some  money,  he  resigned  as 
school  principal,  and  for  nearly  a  year 
did  nothing  but  read.  In  1890  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  New  York. 
His  rise  thenceforward  was  rapid. 
Very  soon  he  became  known  as  a 
man  of  great  ability  as  an  advocate 
and  of  supreme  eloquence  as  a  speak- 
er. It  was  not  long  before  he  had  a 
lucrative  practice,  and  took  a  fore- 
most place  among  the  best  lawyers  of 
the  metropolis.  In  the  meantime  his 
repute  as  an  orator  had  attracted  the 
attention  of  democratic  leaders,  and 
hence  it  was  that  Mr.  Cockran  was  in 
demand  at  national  democratic  con- 
ventions and  "on  the  stump."  He 
was  elected  member  of  congress  in 
1891,  serving  in  that  capacity  until 
1895.  In  1896,  however,  he  refused 
to  accept  the  16  to  i  theory  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  did  his  utmost 
to  elect  McKinley.  Some  will  call 
Mr.  Cockran  a  fortunate  man,  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact  his  fortune,  profes- 
sional and  financial,  is  the  outcome 


of   his  persistent   industry  and  sin- 
cerity. 

JOHN  WARWICK  DANIELS. 

John  Warwick  Daniels  was  born 
at  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  September  5, 
1842.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  town,  at  Lynchburg 
college,  and  also  at  Dr.  Gessner  Har- 
rison's university  school.  During  the 
Civil  war  he  was  an  adjutant-general 
in  the  Confederate  army,  serving  on 
the  staff  of  General  Early.  At  the 
close  of  the  conflict  he  took  up  the 
study  of  law  at  the  University  of 
Virginia  and  graduated  in  1866.  He 
has  practiced  ever  since  at  Memphis, 
Va.  He  was  elected  to  the  state  sen- 
ate in  1875  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  House  of  Delegates  from 
1869  to  1872.  In  1881  he  was  demo- 
cratic candidate  for  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, but  was  defeated.  As  member 
of  congress  in  1885  to  1887,  and  since 
1887  as  United  States  senator  he  has 
been  much  in  the  eye  of  the  public. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  eloquent  of 
forensic  orators  in  America,  as  well 
as  being  the  author  of  several  well- 
known  legal  works. 

CARL  SCHURZ. 

The  riper  years  of  Carl  Schurz  are 
so  generally  identified  with  the  peace- 
ful and  progressive  things  that  are 
the  fruits  of  the  rostrum  of  the  ora- 
tor and  the  sanctum  of  the  editor 
that  it  seems  hard  to  associate  him 
with  the  stormy  and  romantic  inci- 
dents that  crowded  his  youth.  Born  \ 
in  Liblar,  Rhenish  Prussia,  on 
March  2,  1829,  he  was  educated  at 
the  Cologne  gymnasium,  and  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Bonn.  When,  in  1848,  the 
revolutionary  spirit  became  actively 
in  evidence,  he,  together  with  Gott- 
fried Kinkel,  a  professor  of  the  uni- 
versity, started  a  liberal  newspaper. 
As  the  consequence,  the  young  men 


669 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


were  forced  to  flee  from  Bonn.  Later, 
Schurz  received  a  commission  as  ad- 
jutant in  the  revolutionary  army,  and 
upon  the  fall  of  Badstadt  was  com- 
pelled to  fly  to  Switzerland.  His 
friend  Kinkel  was  captured  and  sen- 
tenced to  twenty  years'  imprison- 
ment. Schurz,  however,  did  not  de- 
sert his  friend,  but  returning  to  Ger- 
many, by  the  exercise  of  marvelous 
courage  and  ingenuity,  liberated  Kin- 
kel, and  went  with  him  to  Scotland. 
Subsequently,  and  in  Paris,  Mr. 
Schurz  entered  the  journalistic  pro- 
fession. In  1855  he,  accompanied  by 
his  young  wife,  whom  Le  had  mar- 
ried while  under  the  ban  of  the  Ger- 
man authorities,  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Philadelphia.  After- 
ward he  went  to  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  became  identified  with  local 
political  affairs.  He  soon  became  a 
prominent  figure  in  state  politics.  In 
the  interval  he  had  been  admitted  to 
the  bar  and  now  opened  an  office  in 
Milwaukee.  In  1860  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  national  republican  con- 


vention, and  when  Lincoln  became 
president  he  was  made  minister  to 
Spain.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served 
with  distinction  under  General  Franz 
Sigel,  who  had  been  his  old  com- 
mander in  Germany.  In  1866  he  was 
made  Washington  correspondent  of 
the  New  York  Tribune.  Later  he  es- 
tablished the  Detroit  Post.  He  dis- 
posed of  his  interest  in  it,  and  in 
1867  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  he 
became  editor  of  the  Westliche  Post. 
In  January,  1869,  Mr.  Schurz  was 
made  United  States  senator  for  Mis- 
souri. He  has  taken  an  active  and 
even  strenuous  part  in  presidential 
campaigns  for  many  years.  In  1884, 
1888  and  1892  he  supported  Mr. 
Cleveland.  When  he  visited  Europe, 
in  1888,  he  was  cordially  received  by 
Prince  Bismarck  and  other  German 
leaders.  He  is  an  author,  having  pub- 
lished several  books,  including  a  life 
of  Henry  Clay  and  an  essay  on  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  His  screeds  are  often 
seen  in  periodical  literature. 


MUSICIANS. 


WALTER  JOHANNES  DAMROSCH. 

It  is  questionable  if  there  is  a  bet- 
ter method  of  giving  intellectual 
pleasure  to  a  large  number  of  people 
than  by  teaching  them  concerted 
singing.  More  than  that,  music  is 
admittedly  one  of  the  most  powerful 
factors  in  the  bringing  into  being 
those  finer  qualities  which  are  identi- 
fied with  the  higher  civilizations.  It 
follows,  then,  that  the  man  who  de- 
votes his  life  to  cultivating  a  love  of 
music  among  the  masses  is  a  public 
benefactor.  Such  an  individual  is 
Walter  J.  Damrosch,  who  is  both 
well  known  and  popular  in  this  coun- 
try in  connection  with  his  work  on 
the  lines  alluded  to.  Mr.  Damrosch 
was  born  at  Breslau,  Prussia,  Janu- 


ary 30,  1862.  His  father  was  Dr. 
Leopold  Damrosch,  his  reputation  as 
a  conductor  being  of  an  international 
nature,  led  to  his  coming  to  this  coun- 
try in  1871  to  become  director  of  the 
Oratorio  society  and  Symphony  so- 
ciety of  New  York.  In  the  mean- 
time Walter  had  received  a  thorough 
musical  training  under  his  father, 
and,  when  the  latter  died,  in  1885, 
he  succeeded  to  the  directorship  of 
the  organizations  named.  Since  that 
period  his  continuous  and  conscien- 
tious work  for  the  popularizing  of 
vocal  music  has  borne  fruit  not  only 
in  New  York,  but  in  many  other 
cities  of  the  United  States.  Mr. 
Damrosch  was  also  the  director  of 
German  opera  at  the  Metropolitan 


670 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


Opera  House  and  added  to  his  repu- 
tation in  connection  therewith.  Mr. 
Walter  J.  Damrosch  is  married  to 
Margaret,  daughter  of  the  late  James 
G.  Elaine. 

HENRY  LEWIS  REGINALD  DE  KOVEN. 

When  individuality  is  allied  to  tal- 
ent the  world  stands  ready  to  recog- 
nize, applaud  and  recompense.  But 
the  welding  process  is  not  to  be  ac- 
complished without  faithful  and  con- 
stant effort.  The  results  approximate 
genius  so  closely  that  the  division 
between  it  and  mere  talent  is  more 
theoretical  than  absolute.  All  this 
applies  to  Henry  L.  R.  De  Koven,  the 
composer,  who  is  one  of  the  younger, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  one  of  the 
most  successful  of  American  musi- 
cians. Comic  operas  there  are  and 
comic  operas  there  will  be,  but  in 
most  instances  the  end  of  their  vogue 
marks  also  the  end  of  their  exist- 
ence. In  the  case  of  Robin  Hood, 
The  Highwayman,  and  other  of  Mr. 
De  Koven's  works,  it  is  otherwise. 
Those  named  and  others  bid  fair  to 
remain  popular  beyond  the  limits  of 
this  generation.  The  composer  was 
born  at  Littleton,  Connecticut,  April 
5,  1861,  his  father  being  a  clergyman. 
At  first  educated  in  public  schools, 
he  later  went  abroad,  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  Oxford,  England,  in  1880. 
Like  other  successful  composers,  he 
gave  indications  of  his  love  of  music 
at  an  early  age,  and,  during  his  col- 
lege course,  fostered  his  special  gifts 
by  constant  study.  After  graduating, 
he  studied  still  further  under  mas- 
ters at  Stuttgart,  Florence,  Paris  and 
Vienna.  On  returning  to  this  coun- 
try he  acted  as  musical  critic  on  vari- 
ous publications  coincidently  with  his 
work  as  a  composer.  Apart  from 
his  many  operas  he  has  written  a 
number  of  songs.  In  1884  he  mar- 
ried Anna  Farwell. 


MAURICE  GRAU. 

Maurice  Grau,  who  for  many  years 
was  prominently  identified  with  the 
exploiting  of  grand  opera  in  this 
country*  was  born  in  Brussels,  Aus- 
tria, in  1849,  and  came  to  New  York 
with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 
He  graduated  from  the  Free  Acad- 
emy, New  York,  in  1867,  attended  the 
Columbia  law  school  and  later  was 
for  two  years  an  employee  of  a  law 
firm.  Mr.  Grau,  however,  was  gifted 
with  foresight.  He  saw  that  the  citi- 
zens of  this  country,  on  recovering 
from  the  stress  and  strain  of  the  Civil 
war,  would  not  only  be  possessed  of 
money  with  which  to  gratify  their 
artistic  instincts,  but  that  these  same 
instincts  would  come  into  active  be- 
ing. In  other  words,  in  his  own 
way,  Mr.  Grau  had  faith  in  the  re- 
cuperative powers  of  the  United 
States.  In  1872,  therefore,  he  became 
manager  for  Aimee,  the  opera  bouffe 
prima  donna,  and  was  also  the  man- 
ager of  Rubenstein,  pianist;  Clara 
Louise  Kellogg  company,  Salvini 
and  other  foreign  musical  and  dra- 
matic stars.  Finally  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Abbey,  Schoef- 
fel  &  Grau.  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Patti, 
Henry  Irving,  Coquelin,  Jane  Had- 
ing, Maunet-Sully  and  Mile.  Rejane 
were  exploited  by  the  firm.  Until 
1902  he  was  managing  director  of  the 
Maurice  Grau  opera  company  and 
lessee  of  the  Metropolitan  opera 
house,  New  York,  in  which  capacity 
he  annually  produced  for  some  years 
standard  grand  operas,  the  casts  of 
which  included  the  most  famous  sing- 
ers of  the  present  generation.  He 
furthermore  has  acted  as  managing 
director  of  the  Royal  opera  house, 
Covent  Garden.  On  1903  Mr.  Grau 
severed  his  connection  with  the  Met- 
ropolitan opera  house,  much  to  the 
regret  of  those  to  whose  musical 
taste  he  had  so  successfully  catered. 


671 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


VICTOR  HERBERT. 

The  secret  of  success,  as  far  as 
those  who  cater  to  public  amusement 
is  concerned,  is  the  placing  of  one's 
fingers  upon  the  pulse  of  the  public 
and  shape  one's  methods  and  man- 
ners in  accordance  with  the  knowl- 
edge so  obtained.  Victor  Herbert, 
the  composer,  has  so  shaped  his  ca- 
reer, and,  while  his  work  is  more  or 
less  identified  with  the  lighter  forms 
of  comic  opera,  he  nevertheless  has 
exhibited  unmistakable  musical  ge- 
nius. Mr.  Herbert  was  born  in  Dub- 
lin, Ireland,  February  i,  1859,  and  is 
the  grandson  of  Samuel  Lever,  the 
author  of  Handy  Andy,  and  other 
Irish  novels.  He  began  to  study  mu- 
sic in  Germany  when  but  seven 
years  of  age,  and  took  lessons  from 
a  number  of  masters.  While  yet  a 
boy,  he  was  appointed  the  principal 
'celloist  of  the  court  orchestra  in 
Stuttgart  After  more  study  and  a 
prolonged  tour  in  Europe,  he  came  to 
this  country  as  'cello  soloist  of  the 
Metropolitan  opera  house  orchestra 
in  New  York.  During  his  career  of 
almost  uninterrupted  .professional 
successes,  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  Thomas,  Seidl  and  other  orches- 
tras in  the  capacities  of  'celloist  and 
director.  He  has  also  been  bandmas- 
ter of  the  Twenty-second  Regiment 
of  the  national  guard  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  and,  in  1898,  was  made 
conductor  of  the  Pittsburg  (Pennsyl- 
vania) orchestra.  Among  the  many 
comic  operas  which  he  has  written 
are  The  Wizard  of  the  Nile,  The 
Viceroy  and  The  Idol's  Eye.  He  is 
also  the  author  of  a  number  of  or- 
chestral compositions.  In  1886  he 
married  Theresa  Foerester,  a  prima 
donna. 

LEONORA  JACKSON. 

Of  the  many  American  girls  who 
have  made  riches  and  reputations  as 
violinists,  none  is  better  known  to 


the  musical  world  of  this  country  and 
abroad  than  Leonora  Jackson.  Still 
a  girl  as  far  as  years  go,  she  has 
acquired  a  reputation  as  a  virtuoso 
that  usually  comes  to  one  in  the  sere 
and  yellow  times  of  life.  She  was 
born  in  Boston,  February  20,  1879. 
After  an  education  received  in  Chi- 
cago public  schools,  during  which 
time  she  studied  her  favorite  instru- 
ment, she  went  abroad  and  became 
a  pupil  in  the  Royal  school  of  music, 
Berlin.  While  still  a  child,  she  made 
her  debut  in  Europe  and  scored  an 
instantaneous  success.  She  has  ap- 
peared in  concerts  with  Paderewski, 
Patti  and  other  famous  singers  and 
musicians  and  has  added  to  her  repu- 
tation by  scores  of  performances  be- 
fore musical  societies  in  America  and 
on  the  continent.  Audiences  of  the 
Boston  symphony  orchestra  concerts 
know  her  well.  During  the  season 
of  1900  and  1901  she  gave  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  concerts  in  the  United 
States,  securing  for  herself  in  this 
connection  a  national  reputation. 
Queen  Victoria  decorated  her  as  a 
recognition  of  her  talents.  Miss 
Jackson  has  also  appeared  before  the 
German  empress  and  many  other  no- 
tables of  Europe. 

FRANZ  KNEISEL. 

Boston  musical  circles  have  a  sin- 
cere affection  for  Franz  Kneisel,  not 
only  on  account  of  his  musical  gifts 
but  in  connection  with  the  work  that 
he  has  done  for  the  Boston  symphony 
orchestra.  Apart  from  that,  however, 
some  of  his  admirers  aver  that  as  a 
violin  soloist  he  has  no  equal  in  this 
country  and  but  few  rivals  abroad. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that 
his  gifts  are  of  a  remarkable  nature, 
and,  like  all  successful  men,  he  has 
cultivated  them,  constantly  and  con- 
scientiously. Franz  Kneisel  was  born 
in  Roumania,  in  1865,  of  German  pa- 
rents. From  a  child  he  studied  mu- 


672 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


sic  and  violin  instruction  under  Grun 
and  Hellmsburger  and  early  gave  in- 
dications of  the  successes  that  await- 
ed him  in  the  future.  For  some  years 
he  was  concert  master  of  the  Hoff- 
burg  theatre  orchestra  of  Vienna,  and 
later  of  Bilse's  orchestra  in  Berlin. 
While  filling  these  positions  he 
acquired  the  reputation  which  led  to 
his  being  invited  to  America.  On 
reaching  this  country  he  at  once  be- 


came concert  master  of  the   Boston 

organization     and     director     of    the  THEODORE  THOMAS. 


society,  and,  in  1896,  on  the  strength 
of  the  popularity  which  she  had  es- 
tablished in  her  preceding  tour,  made 
another  and  most  successful  visit  to 
Europe.  She  has  contributed  liberal- 
ly on  musical  topics  to  a  number  of 
periodicals.  Yet,  as  far  as  the  Amer- 
ican public  is  concerned,  the  fame  of 
Maud  Powell  is  permanently  identi- 
fied with  her  violin,  rather  than  with 
her  pen. 


Kneisel  quartet.  He  maintains  his 
reputation  as  a  violoncellist,  how- 
ever, in  spite  of  the  demands  made 
upon  his  time  by  his  other  duties. 

MAUD  POWELL. 

The  popularity  of  Maud  Powell, 
the  violinist,  amongst  musically  in- 
clined people  is  not  altogether  due  to 
a  recognition  of  her  genius.  Those 
who  know  her  life  story  know,  too, 
that  the  place  which  she  now  occu- 
pies in  the  eye  of  the  public  has  been 
obtained  at  the  expense  of  a  tremen- 
dous amount  of  work,  in  the  face  of 
many  obstacles.  Besides  that,  she  is 
a  typical  American  girl,  which  means 
that  she  is  the  possessor  of  the  pluck 
independence  and  perseverance  which 
are  supposed  to  be  characteristic  of 
the  citizens  of  the  United  States. 
Miss  Powell  was  born  in  Peru,  Illi- 
nois, August  22,  1868.  She  studied 
in  the  common  schools  at  Aurora, 
Illinois,  and,  after  some  preliminary 
instruction  on  the  violin  in  this  coun- 
try, took  an  advanced  course  of  study 
in  Leipzig,  Paris  and  Berlin.  As  a 
pupil  of  the  famous  Joachim  she 
gave  promises  of  a  brilliant  future. 
Miss  Powell  is  best  known  to  the 
American  public  through  the  medium 
of  her  solos  given  in  connection  with 
orchestral  concerts  of  Thomas,  Seidl, 
Gericke,  Nikisch,  Damrosch  and  oth- 
ers. In  1892  she  toured  Australia  and 
Germany  with  the  New  York  Arion 


Like  many  of  the  well-known  mu- 
sicians of  to-day,  Theodore  Thomas 
not  only  inherited  his  talents  from 
his  father,  but  was  a  pupil  of  the  lat- 
ter. Mr.  Thomas  shares  with  Dam- 
rosch and  some  other  conductors  the 
credit  of  making  music,  not  only 
familiar  to,  but  popular  with,  the 
masses  in  this  country.  He  was  born 
at  Esens,  Hanover,  Germany,  Octo- 
ber n,  1835,  and  at  the  age  of  ten 
made  his  first  appearance  in  public 
as  a  violinist.  Shortly  after  that  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  gave  perform- 
ances in  New  York.  After  a  success- 
ful tour  in  the  south,  which  extended 
over  two  years,  he  returned  to  New 
York  and  appeared  in  concerts  and 
opera,  first  as  violinist  and  later  as 
orchestra  conductor.  In  connection 
with  other  musicians  he  organized  an 
annual  series  of  chamber  concerts. 
In  1867  he  founded  the  Thomas  or- 
chestra and  maintained  it  until  1888. 
He  also  acted  as  conductor  for  the 
Brooklyn  and  New  York  Philhar- 
monic societies.  In  1891  he  moved 
to  Chicago,  and  since  then  has  been 
conductor  of  the  Chicago  orchestra. 
He  is  director  of  the  Cincinnati  col- 
lege of  music,  was  musical  director 
of  the  Chicago  exposition  and  has 
held  other  prominent  positions  in  the 
musical  world.  He  has  been  married 
twice,  his  second  wife  being  Rose 
Fay,  of  Chicago. 


673 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


SINGERS. 


DAVID  SCULL  BISPHAM. 

David  Scull  Bispham  is  another  of 
those  wise  ones  who  recognized  the 
call  of  his  career  and  followed  it. 
Originally  intended  for  a  business 
life,  he  found  that  his  vocation  was 
on  the  operatic  stage,  and  in  spite  of 
the  apparently  insurmountable  obsta- 
cles that  intervened,  he  at  length 
reached  the  goal  of  his  desires.  Mr. 
Bispham  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
January  5,  1857,  and  graduated  in 
1876  from  Haverford  college,  a 
Quaker  institution  near  Philadelphia. 
When  not  very  much  more  than  a 
baby  he  gave  evidence  of  his  musical 
taste,  and  when  at  college  his  connec- 
tion with  the  glee  club  developed  and 
fostered  his  gifts.  Finally,  after  some 
years  of  experience  as  an  amateur, 
he  became  a  soloist  in  Philadelphia 
churches  and  in  1884  went  to  Italy 
to  study  and  then  appeared  in  con- 
cert in  London.  In  1892  he  was 
intrusted  with  the  role  of  "Tris- 
tan" at  the  Covent  Garden 
Opera  House,  London,  taking  the 
audience  of  the  British  metropolis  by 
storm.  Since  that  time  he  has  sung 
in  all  the  great  cities  of  the  conti- 
nent and  of  the  United  States,  ad- 
ding to  his  laurels  meantime  both  as 
singer  and  actor.  He  is  almost  un- 
excelled as  an  oratorio  vocalist,  and 
is  an  exponent  of  classical  ballads. 
Mr.  Bispham  was  married  in  1895  to 
Caroline,  daughter  of  the  late  General 
Charles  S.  Russell.  He  is  now  the 
principal  baritone  of  the  Covent  Gar- 
den Opera,  London. 

EMMA  CALVE. 

This  generation  seems  to  be  partic- 
ularly fortunate  in  regard  to  the 
number  and  the  quality  of  its  sing- 
ers. Not  the  least  prominent  among 
these  is  Emma  Calve,  the  well-known 


prima  donna,  who  has  sung,  so  it  is 
said,  in  every  civilized  or  semi-civil- 
ized country  in  the  world  and  in 
each  and  every  instance  has  vindi- 
cated her  professional  reputation. 
She  was  born  in  France  in  1866  and 
was  educated  at  a  convent.  After 
some  years  of  study  under  continen- 
tal masters,  she  made  her  debut  in 
grand  opera  in  1882  at  the  Theater 
De  la  Monnaie,  Brusselsi,  where  she 
appeared  in  Massenet's  Herodiade. 
Since  then  she  has  been  intrusted 
with  a  number  of  responsible  operatic 
roles  and  is  well  known  in  the 
United  States.  No  small  portion  of 
her  current  reputation  rests  upon  the 
success  that  she  achieved  in  connec- 
tion with  her  appearance  in  Mas- 
cagni's  "Cavalleria  Rusticana." 

ZELIE  DE  LUSSAN. 

Among  the  younger  prima  donnas 
who  have  attracted  nearly  as  much 
attention  abroad  as  they  have  in  this 
country  is  Zelie  de  Lussan.  She  is 
an  American  girl  by  birth  and  re- 
ceived her  musical  training  in  New 
York  and  Boston.  Subsequently  she 
studied  abroad,  and  after  some  con- 
cert work  in  France  and  Germany, 
returned  to  the  United  States,  where 
she  appeared  in  English  and  grand 
opera.  Her  successes  from  the  in- 
ception of  her  artistic  career  were 
almost  continuous.  Besides  her  vocal 
gifts  she  owns  histrionic  talents  of  a 
high  order.  Subsequent  to  her  last 
New  York  appearance,  she  was  again 
called  to  Europe,  and  in  that  connec- 
tion has  given  renewed  assurance  of 
her  abilities.  She  is  one  of  the  sev- 
eral American  girls  who  have  suc- 
ceeded in  a  profession  which  bristles 
with  difficulties. 

EDOUARD  DE  RESZKE. 

Edouard   de   Reszke  was  born  at 


674 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


Vasevie,  Poland,  in  1853.  He  is  the 
brother  of  Jean  de  Reszke,  and  with 
him  shares  vocal  gifts  of  a  high  or- 
der and  a  permanent  popularity 
among  musically  inclined  people.  He 
studied  music  and  singing  under  Ciaf- 
fei  and  Celetti,  making  his  debut  as 
an  operatic  singer  in  Paris  in  1876 
as  the  king  in  "Aida."  Since  then  he 
has  been  before  the  public  more  or 
less  constantly,  and  his  reputation 
has  not  waned  by  reason  of  his  many 
years  of  professional  life.  He  is  a 
favorite  in  grand  opera  roles  in  Eu- 
rope and  has  appeared  in  every  city 
of  importance  in  the  United  States. 
He  is  the  owner  of  a  basso  of  re- 
markable pttfity  and  timbre. 

JEAN  DE  RESZKE. 

A  triple  alliance  of  magnificent  vo- 
cal gifts,  a  commanding  personality 
and  a  robust  physique  are  responsible 
for  the  long  and  brilliant  career  of 
the  operatic  singer,  Jean  de  Reszke. 
He  was  born  in  Vasevie,  Poland. 
January  14,  1850,  and  studied  under 
the  masters,  Ciaffei,  Cotogni  and 
Sbriglia.  His  debut  as  baritone  sin- 
ger was  made  in  Favorita,  Venice, 
January,  1874,  and  his  debut  as  tenor 
singer  in  Madrid,  1879.  Mr.  de 
Reszke  has  appeared  in  leading  roles 
in  grand  opera  both  in  the  United 
States  and  Europe,  one  of  his  most 
popular  characters  being  Tristan,  in 
Tristan  and  Isolde.  He  was  married 
to  the  Countess  Marie  de  Goulaine, 
and  now  makes  his  home  in  New 
York  city. 

EMMA  EAMES. 

It  is  not  often  that  one  compasses 
one's  ambition  to  the  full.  More  fre- 
quently it  will  be  found  that  those 
whom  the  world  calls  successful  are 
successful  in  part  only,  and  that 
much  is  left  unfilled.  It  is  open  to 
question,  however,  whether  the  man 
who  has  fully  realized  his  hope  is 


more  happy  than  he  to  whom  some- 
what remains  for  which  to  crave  and 
struggle.  The  answer  to  the  question 
involved  could  hardly  be  given  by 
Emma  Eames,  prima  donna,  for  hu^ 
manly  speaking,  she  seems  to  have 
achieved  the  ambitions  and  the  pur- 
poses of  her  life.  The  singer  was 
born  in  Shanghai,  China,  August  13, 
1867,  of  American  parentage.  Her 
childhood  was  spent  in  Boston,  her 
musical  education  being  at  first  under 
the  direction  of  her  mother  and  later 
under  Miss  Munyard,  a  well-known 
teacher  of  vocalism.  While  singing 
in  a  church  choir  in  Boston,  she  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  Prof.  Gericke, 
then  leader  of  the  Boston  symphony 
orchestra,  and  Prof.  Paine,  of  Har- 
vard, both  of  whom  became  interested 
in  her.  It  was  under  their  direction 
that  the  technical  foundation  of  her 
future  fame  was  laid.  By  their  ad- 
vice and  with  their  assistance,  she 
took  lessons  from  Mme.  Marchesi,  of 
Paris,  for  two  years  and  later,  after 
instruction  in  operatic  roles  by  Prof. 
Gevart,  chief  of  the  Brussels  conser- 
vatory of  music,  she  made  her  debut 
in  Paris  in  Gounod's  Romeo  and 
Juliet.  A  pronounced  and  spontane- 
ous success  was  hers,  and  the  news 
that  a  comparatively  unknown  Amer- 
ican girl  had  become  famous  in  a 
night  excited  the  interest  of  musi- 
cally inclined  people  all  over  the 
world.  Gounod  himself  declared  that 
she  was  his  ideal  Juliet.  During  her 
engagement  in  Paris,  Miss  Eames 
was  the  recipient  of  many  social  and 
official  attentions,  the  president  of 
the  French  republic  honoring  her 
with  a  decoration.  In  1891  and  the 
year  following,  she  appeared  in  grand 
opera  at  the  Covent  Garden  opera 
house,  London,  where  she  also  scored. 
In  1893  and  1894  she  gave  New  York 
audiences  a  taste  of  her  quality  by 
appearing  in  opera  at  the  Metropoli- 
tan opera  house  and  won  immediate 


675 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


popular  favor.  She  is  installed  a 
permanent  favorite  in  musical  circles 
of  this  country.  In  1891  she  married 
Julian,  son  of  W.  W.  Story,  the  sculp- 
tor. 

LILLIAN  NORDICA. 

Lillian  Nordica,  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  American  prima  donnas, 
was  born  in  Farmingdale,  Maine,  in 
1859,  her  family  name  being  Norton. 
Her  musical  education  began  early 
and  was  of  a  very  thorough  sort. 
After  a  period  spent  in  local  public 
schools,  she  became  a  student  in  the 
New  England  conservatory,  her 
teacher  being  John  O'Neil.  Later  she 
studied  under  San  Giovanni  at  Milan, 
Italy.  After  preliminary  work  in  con- 
certs abroad,  she  made  her  operatic 
debut  at  Brescia,  Italy,  in  La  Travi- 
ata,  and  scored  instantaneously  and 
emphatically.  In  1887  she  made  a  suc- 
cessful appearance  in  London,  and 
later  visited  Paris,  St.  Petersburg 
and  other  European  capitals.  In  each 
and  every  instance  she  repeated  her 
initial  successes.  She  has  been  twice 
married,  her  first  husband  being  a 
Mr.  Gower,  and  her  second  Herr  Zol- 
tan  Done.  The  prima  donna's  rep- 
ertoire embraces  the  leading  roles  of 
forty  operas,  and  includes  nearly  all 
the  standard  oratorios.  She  is  best 
known  to  the  public  in  connection 
with  Wagnerian  parts,  and  has  ap- 
peared in  grand  opera  in  this  country 
on  several  occasions.  Mme.  Nordica 
has  a  charming  personality,  and  her 
professional  successes  have  by  no 
means  estranged  her  from  the  friends 
of  her  childhood. 

ADELINA  PATTL 

Theoretically  the  uses  of  poverty 
are  many,  tending  to  the  development 
of  varied  virtues.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  poverty  is  the  mother  of  much 
meanness  and  many  crimes.  The 
struggle  for  mere  existence  among 


the  poor  is  so  keen  that  it  absorbs 
their  mental  and  physical  vitality.  So 
it  is  that  he  or  she  who  passes  from 
the  twilight  of  penury  into  the  sun- 
light of  prosperity  must  be  rarely 
gifted.  Such  an  individual  is  Ade- 
lina  Patti,  whose  fame  as  a  great 
singer  is  not  only  yet  undimmed,  but 
bids  fair  to  last  as  long  as  music 
itself.  Patti  was  born  in  Madrid, 
Spain,  February  19,  1843,  her  mother 
being  a  prima  donna  at  the  Grand 
theater.  In  1844  the  family  came  to 
this  country,  the  father  being  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  managers  of  the 
then  Italian  opera  house  on  Cham- 
bers street,  New  York.  Little  Ade- 
lina  received  her  preliminary  musi- 
cal training  from  her  half-brother, 
Ettore  Barilli.  Owing  to  the  finan- 
cial stresses  in  which  her  parents 
then  were,  she,  although  only  seven 
years  of  age,  was  allowed  to  make 
her  debut  in  concert  at  Tripler's  hall, 
New  York,  on  which  occasion  her  un- 
developed but  phenomenal  voice  at- 
tracted general  attention.  In  1859 
she  made  her  debut  in  grand  opera 
at  the  Academy  of  Music,  New  York, 
when  she  appeared  in  Lucia  di  Lam- 
mermoor.  Her  audience  gave  her 
a  most  cordial  welcome.  But,  as  it 
turned  out,  her  struggles  were  only 
beginning.  As  far  as  the  mere  culti- 
vation of  her  voice  was  concerned, 
her  natural  gifts  were  of  such  a  na- 
ture that  she  had  no  difficulty  in  over- 
coming the  technical  obstacles  of  her 
art,  but  the  spirit  of  jealousy  and 
suspicion  which  success  usually 
arouses  in  the  breasts  of  the  un- 
known, prevented  her  talents  from 
being  duly  recognized,  or,  to  put  it  in 
another  way,  she  was  so  belittled  by 
her  rivals  that  she  had  to  individu- 
ally satisfy  every  great  city  in  Amer- 
ica that  she  had  not  been  overrated. 
Patti  was  deeply  wounded  by  these 
unlooked-for  conditions,  but  never- 
theless she  bravely  faced  the  sneers 


676 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


and  unkind  criticisms  and  overcame 
them,  and  for  many  years  has  occu- 
pied a  place  in  the  estimation  of  the 
public,  which  probably  no  other  prima 
donna  in  the  history  of  civilization 
has  attained.  Twice  during  her  career 
she  has  been  threatened  with  the  to- 
tal loss  of  her  voice;,  but  happily  the 
"nightingale  in  her  throat"  is  as  yet 
unsilenced.  To  the  end  of  her  days 
she  will  reap  the  reward  of  the  self- 
denial  and  persistent  attention  to 
duty  and  art  which  she  gave  them 
during  the  years  of  her  childhood. 
She  has  been  as  successful  abroad 
as  she  has  in  this  country.  In  grand 
opera  she  has  assumed  nearly  all 
existing  prominent  roles.  For  some 
years  past  she  made  her  home  abroad. 
In  1881,  Patti  revisited  the  United 
States,  when  she  received  $5,ooo  per 
night,  which  is  said  to  be  the  largest 
amount  ever  paid  to  a  singer  or  actor 
for  one  performance.  Married  three 
times,  her  last  husband  was  Baron 
Rolf  Cedarstrom.  She  is  the  owner 
of  a  castle  at  Craig-y-Nos,  Wales. 
During  her  last  and  most  recent  visit 
to  this  country,  the  American  public 
gave  her  ample  proof  that  she  still 
occupies  a  warm  place  in  Its  affec- 
tion. 

MARCELLA   STENGEL   SEMBRICH. 

Marcella  Stengel  S'embrich  is  one 
of  the  several  prima  donnas  to  whom 


the  American  music-loving  public  has 
remained  loyal  for  many  years.  As 
an  artist  she  ranks  with  the  foremost 
singers  of  to-day,  while  her  domestic 
life  is  of  an  ideal  nature.  As  a  rule, 
the  law  of  compensation  takes  great- 
ly where  it  gives  freely,  and  so  the 
woman  of  talent  who  devotes  herself 
to  the  service  of  the  public  is  apt  to 
be  the  loser  as  far  as  home  life  is 
concerned.  In  Mme.  Sembrich's  case 
it  is  otherwise,  however,  and  her  so- 
cial popularity,  too,  is  no  less  than 
is  her  vogue  on  the  operatic  stage. 
The  songstress  was  born  at  Lem- 
berg,  Galatia,,  February  18,  1858.  Her 
early  musical  education  was  obtained 
in  the  Conservatory  of  Lemberg, 
after  which  she  studied  at  Vienna 
and  Milan.  Her  marvelous  vocal  gifts 
assured  the  success  of  her  debut  as 
Elvira,  in  I  Puritani,  at  the  Royal 
theater,  Athens.  After  a  season  spent 
on  the  continent  in  opera  she,  in 
1883,  came  to  this  country  under  the 
management  of  Henry  Abbey.  Her 
reception  here  was  of  the  warmest 
nature,  and  from  that  time  on  she 
has  been  a  constant  favorite  with  the 
American  public.  She  has  made  a 
number  of  tours  in  the  United  States 
and  has  been  uniformly  successful  in 
connection  therewith.  In  1877  she 
married  Prof.  Wilhelm  Stengel,  who 
had  formerly  been  her  teacher  at 
Lemberg. 


ACTORS. 


WILLIAM  H.  CRANE. 

A  tireless  worker  and  devoted  to 
his  calling,  William  H.  Crane  is  with- 
out doubt  one  of  the  foremost  come- 
dians of  the  day.  Mr.  Crane  was 
born  in  Leicester,  Massachusetts, 
April  30,  1845.  At  tlie  age  of  eighteen 
he  made  his  professional  debut  at 
Utica,  New  York.  His  first  perma- 
nent engagement  was  with  the  Har- 


riet Holman's  opera  company,  with 
which  organization  he  remained  for 
seven  years.  His  first  part,  with  this 
company,  was  that  of  the  Orator,  in 
The  Child  of  the  Regiment;  later 
he  filled  the  roles  of  Beppo,  in  Fra 
Diavolo;  Mephisto,  in  Faust;  Hugh 
Challoner,  in  Ours;  Dr.  Dalcomora, 
in  The  Elixir  of  Love.  Leaving  the 
Holmans,  he  joined  the  Alice  Gates 


677 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


opera  company,  becoming  its  leading 
comedian.  Later,  after  creating  the 
part  of  Le  Blanc,  in  Evangeline,  he,  in 
1874,  became  a  member  of  the  stock 
company  playing  at  Hooley's  theater, 
Chicago.  His  first  appearance  in  New 
York  city  was  at  Niblo's  theater,  in 

1876,  and  it  was  in  the  same  year  that 
at  the  Park  Theater,  he  won  distinct 
recognition  as  a  comedian  of  excep- 
tional talent  by  his  impersonation  of 
Dick  Swiveler  to  The  Marchioness. 
During    this    time    an    acquaintance 
with  Stuart  Robson  resulted  in    the 
two     actors     collaborating   in     Our 
Boarding    House,    which   was   given 
its   initial   presentation  at  the    Park 
theater,  New  York  city,  October  n, 

1877.  This  engagement  being  ended, 
they  formed  a  partnership  that  lasted 
for  twelve  years.     Since  1899  he  has 
appeared  in  star  roles  in  The  Sena- 
tor,    On     Probation,     For     Money, 
Brother  John,  A  Fool  of  Fortune,  A 
Virginia  Courtship,  and  other  plays. 
Mr.   Crane  has  accumulated  a  com- 
fortable fortune,  and  in  the  intervals 
of   his    professional    labor    enjoys   a 
pleasant  home  life  with  his  wife  and 
children  at  Cohasset,  Massachusetts. 

JOHN  DREW. 

John  Drew  is  an  excellent  example 
of  a  man  finding  his  vocation  and 
filling  it.  While  it  is  true  that  he  in- 
herited his  histrionic  talent,  his  father, 
John  Drew,  Sr.,  having  been  a  noted 
Irish  comedian  and  his  mother,  Lou- 
ise Lane  Drew,  also  having  been  a 
great  favorite  on  the  stage — yet  he 
has  achieved  success  because  of  his 
personal  efforts  looking  to  its  devel- 
opment. The  prime  requisite  for  ad- 
vancement in  any  field  is,  first,  find 
your  talent,  then  bend  every  energy 
toward  its  development.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  November  13, 
1853,  and  early  showed  a  preference 
for  the  boards.  He  was  educated  at 


the  Episcopal  academy  and  by  private 
tutors,  making  his  first  appearance 
behind  the  footlights  at  the  Arch 
street  theater,  Philadelphia,  as  Plum- 
per, in  As  Cool  as  a  Cucumber.  Al- 
though only  nineteen,  his  efforts  met 
with  almost  immediate  success,  and 
at  twenty-one  he  joined  Mr.  Daly's 
famous  company  soon  quickly  be- 
coming the  most  popular  member  of 
the  organization.  Since  1892  he  has 
been  starring  in  his  own  company. 
Although  Mr.  Drew  excels  in  society 
plays,  he  has  also  made  a  brilliant 
record  in  classical  drama,  and  espe- 
cially in  Shakespearian  roles.  Pe- 
truchio,  in  Taming  of  the  Shrew,  is 
his  favorite  character,  and  it  is  the 
most  difficult  and  exacting  of  any  he 
assumes.  He  has  brought  out  in  year- 
ly succession  The  Butterflies,  The 
Bauble  Shop,  Christopher,  Jr.,  Rose- 
mary, A  Marriage  of  Convenience, 
One  Summer  Day,  and  The  Liars. 
Commenting  upon  Mr.  Drew,  Will- 
iam Winter,  the  well-known  critic, 
wrote  "that  he  possesses  drollery, 
the  talent  of  apparent  spontaneity, 
and  the  faculty  of  crisp  emotion.  He 
has  surpassed  all  young  actors  of  his 
day  as  a  gay  cavalier  and  the  banter- 
ing farceur  of  the  drawing-room 
drama  of  modern  social  life.  He  is 
thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  his  atti- 
tude toward  his  art  is  that  of  intel- 
lectual purpose  and  authority." 

WILLIAM  HOOKER  GILLETTE. 

We  sometimes  speak  and  often 
hear  of  an  instantaneous  success,  but 
in  reality  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
success  or  failure  being  immediate. 
Every  real  achievement  is  the  culmi- 
nation of  weeks  and  months,  and 
even  years,  of  earnest  and  unremit- 
ting toil.  The  popular  actor  and  well- 
known  author,  William  Hooker  Gil- 
lette, furnishes  a  case  in  point.  The 
structure  of  his  reputation  bids  fair 
to  last  indefinitely,  but  it  rests  on 


678 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


foundations  of  preparatory  work  of 
which  the  public  knows  but  little. 
He  was  born  in  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut, July  24,  1855,  being  the  son  of 
Francis  G.  (late  United  States  sena- 
tor from  Connecticut),  and  Elizabeth 
Daggett  (Hooker)  Gillette.  Gradu- 
ating from  the  Hartford  high  school 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  afterward 


years  later  entered  upon  his  career 
as  a  star,  a  practically  unbroken  line 
of  successes  having  followed  both 
here  and  abroad,  for  when,  in  1890, 
he  filled  a  long  engagement  in  Lon- 
don, he  was  received  with  every  man- 
ifestation of  approval.  Mr.  Goodwin 
has  been  married  three  times,  the  last 
wife  being  Maxine  Elliott. 


attended  the  New  York  university  for 

two  years.    From  a  lad  he  had  given  JAMES  KETELTAS  HACKETT. 


evidence  of  his  love  for  the  stage. 
While  at  the  university  he  obtained 
a  minor  position  in  one  of  the  the- 
aters. In  1876,  becoming  a  student  in 
the  Boston  university,  he  followed 
the  same  plan  of  studying  by  day  and 
playing  in  small  parts  at  night.  In 
this  way  he  made  himself  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  "business"  of  the 
stage,  as  well  as  the  first  principles  of 
acting.  Mr.  Gillette  made  his  first 
palpable  hit  in  the  title  role  of  A  Pri- 
vate Secretary  by  playing  a  part 
which  required  a  particular  delicacy 
of  treatment. 

NATHANIEL  C.  GOODWIN. 

Even  as  a  schoolboy  the  famous 
comedian,  Nat.  C.  Goodwin,  by  his 
clever  imitations  of  leading  actors, 
displayed  signs  of  his  future  great- 
ness. He  was  born  in  Boston,  July 
2S»  !857,  and  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city.  His  parents  in- 
tended that  he  should  follow  a  com- 
mercial careeri,  but  he  early  decided 
for  the  stage  as  against  a  business 
life.  His  mirth-provoking  powers 
were  finally  recognized  by  Stuart 
Robson,  who  engaged  young  Good- 
win at  a  salary  of  $5  a  week  to  play 
the  part  of  the  Bootblack,  in  Law  in 
New  York.  Mr.  Goodwin's  reputa- 
tion was  quickly  established,  and  the 
next  season  he  contracted  with  Josh 
Hart  to  appear  in  the  Eagle  theater 
in  New  York  city,  at  a  salary  of  $150 
a  week.  In  1876  he  played  Captain 
Dietrich  in  Evangeline,  and  three 


James  Keteltas  Hackett;,  one  of  the 
youngest  of  the  prominent  actors  of 
America,  and  certainly  the  youngest 
actor-manager  of  note  in  this  coun- 
try, was  born  at  Wolfe  Island,  On- 
tario, Canada,  September  6,  1869.  He 
is  the  son  of  the  late  James  Henry 
Hackett,  who  in  his  time  was  also  a 
notable  figure  of  the  American 
boards.  After  graduating  from  the 
College  of  the  City  of  New  York  in 
1891,  he  studied  in  the  New  York 
law  school,  but  his  inclination  for 
the  stage,  which  manifested  itself  al- 
most as  soon  as  he  could  talk,  became 
more  and  more  marked,  and,  aban- 
doning the  legal  career  which  it  had 
been  intended  he  should  follow,  he 
gave  himself  up  to  studying  for  the 
stage.  In  1892  he  made  his  debut  in 
New  York  in  the  A.  M.  Palmer 
stock  company.  From  the  very  first 
he  gave  unmistakable  indications  of 
his  subsequent  success.  In  four  years 
— being  then  twenty-six  years  of  age 
— he  was  leading  man  of  the  company 
in  question,  and  was  a  star  in  the 
dramatic  firmament  of  New  York. 
From  that  time  on  his  progress  in  his 
chosen  profession  has  been  unceasing. 
For  some  years  he  was  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Daniel  Frohman, 
during  which  period  he  made  distinc- 
tive hits  in  The  Prisoner  of  Zenda 
and  its  sequel,  Rupert  of  Hentzau, 
and  The  Pride  of  Jennico.  Leaving 
Mr.  Frohman's  management,  he 
branched  out  for  himself.  As  already 
intimated,  he  is  as  successful  as  he  is 


679 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


popular.  He  married  Mary  Manner- 
ing,  a  well-known  actress,  whom  he 
met  during  his  association  with  the 
Frohman  forces. 

SIR  HENRY  BRODRIBB  IRVING. 

Sir  Henry  Brodribb  Irving,  who 
has  created  an  era  in  theatrical  art, 
did  not  attain  his  ambitions  until  he 
had  experienced  a  full  share  of  dis- 
appointments and  privations.  His 
'  name  is  now  associated  with  all  that 
makes  for  the  splendor  of  the  drama, 
spectacular  and  intellectual.  But  the 
time  was  with  Sir  Henry  when  the 
next  meal  was  an  unknown  quantity, 
when  his  wardrobe  was  carried  on 
his  back,  and  when  his  future  seemed 
to  be  without  promise  professionally 
or  otherwise.  But  with  him,  as  with 
other  successful  men,  his  belief  in 
himself  enabled  him  to  combat  stress 
of  troubles  and  finally  landed  him  at 
the  goal  of  success.  Apart  from  all 
else  he  has,  through  the  medium  of 
his  masterly  productions  of  Shake- 
speare's plays,  done  more  to  revive  an 
intelligent  interest  in  the  "Immortal 
Bard"  than  has  any  other  manager- 
actor  of  this  generation.  His  keenest 
critics  admit  his  genius,  even  while 
they  comment  on  his  methods.  Like 
most  men  of  his  type  he  has  a  marked 
individuality,  and  for  this  reason  he 
has  been  accused  of  mannerisms.  On 
the  other  hand,  his  admirers  claim 
that  his  individuality  is  responsible 
for  no  small  portion  of  the  charm 
and  power  of  his  work.  The  actor 
was  born  in  Keinton,  near  Glaston- 
bury,  England,  February  6,  1838,  his 
actual  name  being  Brodribb.  By  per- 
mission of  the  English  authorities  in 
1887  he  was  authorized,  however,  to 
continue  the  use  of  the  adopted 
name  of  Irving.  Educated  in  private 
schools  in  London,  he,  in  1856,  went 
on  the  stage  in  the  provinces.  His 
first  appearance  before  a  public  was 
a  failure,  pure,  simple  and  absolute. 


The  London  stage  first  knew  him  in 
1859;  then  he  returned  to  the  prov- 
inces, remaining  therein  until  1866, 
when  he  once  more  came  to  London, 
playing  in  several  different  theaters, 
but  in  minor  roles.  At  about  this 
period  his  talents  began  to  assert 
themselves,  and  since  1871  Sir  Henry 
Irving  has  been  successfully  before 
the  public  at  the  Lyceum  Theater, 
London,  of  which  he  was  lessee  and 
manager  from  1878  until  1899.  He  is 
well  known  to  play-goers  in  this 
country  by  reason  of  his  several  tours 
here.  In  recognition  of  his  work  for 
the  betterment  of  the  stage  he  was 
knighted  by  Queen  Victoria  in  1895. 
Sir  Henry  Irving  is  also  an  author, 
his  most  notable  work  being  The 
Drama. 

JOSEPH  JEFFERSON. 

Many  ancestors  of  Joseph  Jefferson 
followed  the  profession  of  acting. 
Both  his  father  and  mother  were 
players.  He  was  born  at  Philadel- 
phia, February  20,  1829,  was  educated 
at  home  and  first  appeared  on  the 
stage  as  a  child  in  the  old-time  favor- 
ite play  of  Pizarrq.  In  1843  his 
father  died,  and  he  joined  a  party  of 
strolling  players,  who  traveled 
through  Texas  and  followed  the 
United  States  army  to  Mexico.  His 
first  prominent  role  was  that  of  Asa 
Trenchard,  in  Our  American  Cousin, 
which  was  first  presented  October  18, 
1858,  and  continued  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  consecutive  nights  at  Laura 
Keene's  theater  in  New  York  city. 
His  other  notable  parts  have  been 
Newman  Noggs,  in  Nicholas  Nickel- 
by;  Caleb  Plummer,  in  The  Cricket 
on  the  Hearth ;  Dr.  Pangloss,  in  The 
Heir-at-Law,  and  Dr.  Ollapod,  in  The 
Poor  Gentleman.  But  the  public 
chiefly  identify  him  with  the  title 
role  of  Rip  Van  Winkle,  which  he 
has  played  in  every  city  in  the  United 
States,  and  also  in  England  and  Aus- 


680 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


tralia.  He  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
having  presented  the  character  more 
times  than  any  other  actor  has  ever 
played  a  single  character  in  the  his- 
tory of  dramatics.  Besides  being  one 
of  the  most  popular  actors  of  his 
times,  Mr.  Jefferson  is  a  painter  of 
considerable  ability  and  is  an  author 
of  some  note.  His  "autobiography" 
is  his  most  important  work,  but  he 
has  also  contributed  many  articles  to 
the  magazines.  He  married,  in  1848, 
Margaret  Lockyer,  and  after  her 
death  took  to  wife  Sarah  Warren,  in 
1867. 

EDWARD  H.  SOTHERN. 

How  many  failures  in  life  are 
caused  by  misfit  occupations !  The 
world  would  have  perhaps  never 
known  of  Edward  H.  Sothern  if  he 
had  followed  the  wishes  of  his  father 
in  choosing  a  life  career.  This  man, 
who  has  attained  such  prominence  in 
the  histrionic  profession  would  proba- 
bly have  been  doomed  to  obscurity 
had  he  become  a  painter.  He  was 
born  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  De- 
cember 6,  1859,  being  the  second  son 
of  Edward  Askew  Sothern,  the  fa- 
mous comedian.  At  the  age  of  five 
he  was  taken  to  London,  where  he 
received  his  education.  He  studied 
drawing  for  some  time,  his  father 


wishing  him  to  become  an  artist,  but 
he  seems  to  have  inherited  a  predilec- 
tion for  the  stage.  It  was  during  his 
two  visits  to  the  United  States  with 
his  father  in  1875  and  1879,  that,  in 
spite  of  his  parents'  objections,  he 
decided  to  become  an  actor,  which  he 
did,  making  his  debut  as  a  cabman, 
in  Sam,  at  the  Park  theater,  New 
York  city.  Later  he  joined  his  fa- 
ther's company,  but  shortly  after  re- 
signed in  order  to  become  a  member 
of  John  McCullough's  company.  In 
1883,  after  appearing  for  two  years 
at  the  Criterion,  Standard,  Royalty 
and  other  London  theaters,  and  trav- 
eling one  year,,  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Lytton  Sothern,  he  returned 
to  this  country,  again  entered  the 
company  of  John  McCullough,  be- 
coming its  leading  comedian.  Subse- 
quently Mr.  Sothern  played  with 
Helen  Daubray,  in  One  of  Our  Girls ; 
he  first  took  a  leading  role  as  Jack 
Hammerton,  in  The  Highest  Bidder. 
Since  that  time  he  has  starred  with 
his  own  company  in  Lord  Chumley, 
The  Maister  of  Woodbarrow,  Pris- 
oner of  Zenda,  Under  the  Red  Robe, 
etc.  He  married  Virginia  Harned, 
his  leading  woman.  Mr.  Sothern  has 
had  an  adequate  professional  training 
and  his  creditable  work  proclaims 
him  a  master  of  his  art. 


ACTRESSES. 


MAUDE  ADAMS. 

Maude  Adams  is  descended  from  a 
long  line  of  theatrical  people.  She 
was  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
November  n,  1872.  Her  mother  was 
the  leading  woman  of  a  stock  com- 
pany in  that  city,  and  at  a  very  early 
age  Miss  Adams  appeared  on  the 
stage  in  child's  parts.  Her  school 
days  were  scarcely  over  when  she 
joined  the  E.  H.  Sothern  Company. 
She  afterward  became  a  member  of 


Charles  Frohman's  stock  company, 
and  still  later  was  leading  lady  for 
John  Drew.  Her  most  pronounced 
success  was  as  Babbie,  in  The  Little 
Minister  and  another  as  the  title  role 
of  1'Aiglon.  She  also  received  much 
publicity  as  the  model  for  the  silver 
statue  which  was  exhibited  at  the 
World's  Fair,  Chicago.  Miss  Maude 
Adams  has  established  herself  per- 
manently in  the  good-will  of  Amer- 
ican play-goers. 


68l 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


VIOLA  ALLEN. 

Viola  Allen  was  born  in  the  south, 
but  went  to  Boston  when  three  years 
of  age.  She  was  educated  in  that 
city  and  at  the  Bishop  Strachan 
school,  Toronto,  Canada.  Her  debut 
was  made  at  the  Madison  Square  the- 
ater, New  York,  in  Esmeralda,  in 
1882.  During  the  season  of  1883  and 
1884  she  was  leading  lady  for  John 
McCullough,  and  afterward  played 
classical  and  Shakespearian  roles. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Empire 
theater  stock  company  in  1892,  but 
her  principal  success  was  in  creating 
the  character  of  Gloria  Quayle,  in 
The  Christian,  which  had  a  long  run 
in  New  York  in  1898,  succeeded  by  a 
tour  through  the  principal  cities  of 
the  country.  Miss  Allen's  private 
charities  are  many,  and  she  is  identi- 
fied with  those  phases  of  church 
work  which  have  to  do  with  the  bet- 
tering of  the  conditions  of  the  poor. 

ETHEL  BARRYMORE. 

Ethel  Barrymore,  one  of  the  young- 
est stars  in  the  theatrical  profession, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1880. 
She  comes  of  a  professional  family, 
and  when,  while  yet  a  child.,  gave  to 
those  who  were  responsible  for  her 
•first  appearance  behind  the  footlights 
assurance  of  innate  talent.  Miss  Bar- 
rymore was  by  no  means  unknown  to 
Metropolitan  play-goers  prior  to  the 
time  when,  under  Mr.  Charles  Froh- 
man's  management,  she  made  her 
stellar  debut  a  few  years  since.  The 
young  actress  is  a  finished  comedi- 
enne and  is  a  member  of  that  modern 
school  of  comedy  that  cultivates  re- 
pressed effort. 

MRS.  LESLIE  CARTER. 

David  Belasco,  playwright  and 
manager,  has  been  uniformly  success- 
ful with  his  plays  and  his  stars.  A 
case  in  point  is  that  of  Mrs.  Leslie 
Carter,  who  has  been  connected  in  a 


professional  capacity  with  Mr.  Belasco 
for  some  years.  Stepping  from  social 
circles  in  Chicago  to  the  stage,  she 
was  in  the  first  instance  a  somewhat 
indifferent  specimen  of  the  crude 
amateur  actress,  but  Mr.  Belasco  de- 
tected in  her  undeveloped  talent,  and 
the  rest  is  professional  history.  Un- 
der his  guidance  as  tutor  and  man- 
ager she  holds  a  prominent  place  in 
the  theatrical  world.  Her  first  suc- 
cess was  made  in  the  Heart  of  Mary- 
land and  her  last  and  most  notable  in 
Du  Barry. 

ELEANORA  DUSE. 

Eleanora  Duse,  the  Italian  trage- 
dienne, who  is  Signpra  Cecci  in  pri- 
vate life,  was  born,  in  1861,  in  Vigo- 
yano,  Italy.  At  an  early  age  she  gave 
indications  of  those  histrionic  talents 
which  subsequently  made  her  famous. 
For  many  years  she  was  one  of  the 
most  notable  figures  on  the  stage  of 
her  country.  She  made  her  Ameri- 
can debut  in  1893  at  the  Fifth  Avenue 
theater,  New  York.  While  there  is 
no  gainsaying  the  sincerity  and  finish 
of  her  art,  yet  at  the  same  time  there 
are  not  a  few  critics  who  take  excep- 
tion to  it  on  the  score  of  the  sombre 
plays  and  methods  of  the  actress. 
Since  her  debut  she  has  visited  the 
United  States  on  more  than  one  oc- 
casion, and  in  each  instance  her  fol- 
lowing in  this  country  have  accorded 
her  the  welcome  which  is  due  to  her 
as  an  artiste  and  a  woman. 

MAY  IRWIN. 

"Blessed  are  the  laughmakers,"  is 
one  of  the  later  beatitudes,  and  on 
that  score  May  Irwin  will  certainly 
receive  her  share  of  blessings.  She 
was  born  at  Whitby,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, in  1862,  and  made  her  debut  at 
the  Adelphi  theater,  Buffalo,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1876.  Later,  with  her  sister 
Flora,  she  became  a  member  of  Tony 
Pastor's  company,  and  shortly  after- 


682 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


ward  joined  Augustin  Daly's  com- 
pany. She  ranks  as  one  of  the  whole- 
some mirth-making  actresses  of  the 
American  stage.  The  plays  in  which 
she  has  starred  include  The  Widow 
Jones,  The  Swell  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
Courted  Into  Court,  Kate  Kip,,  Buyer, 
and  other  farcical  comedies.  In  1878 
she  was  married  to  Frederick  W. 
Keller,  of  St.  Louis,  who  died  in 
1886. 


VIRGINIA  HARNED. 

Virginia  Harned  was  born  at  Bos- 
ton, and,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  made 
her  debut  as  Lady  Despar,  in  The  JULIA  MARLOWE. 


Britain.  Her  father  was  connected 
with  the  Established  church  of  Eng- 
land. She  married  an  officer  in  the 
English  army  and  subsequently  set- 
tled in  London.  Domestic  differences 
ensuing,  she  went  upon  the  stage. 
Her  American  debut,  as  an  actress, 
was  made  in  1893  at  the  Fifth  avenue 
theater,  New  York.  Since  then  she 
has  visited  this  country  on  two  or 
three  occasions.  Mrs.  Langtry  is 
popularly  known  as  the  Jersey  Lily. 
She  was  married  for  the  second  time 
in  1899. 


Corsican  Brothers.  She  first  played 
in  New  York  city  in  1890  at  the  Four- 
teenth street  theater  in  a  play  entitled 
"A  Long  Lane  or  Green  Meadow." 
In  this  play  she  made  so  good  an 
impression  that  she  was  engaged  by 
Daniel  Frohman  as  leading  woman 
for  E.  A.  Sothern.  In  1896  she  was 
married  to  Mr.  Sothern  and  has  since 
appeared  in  leading  parts  in  his  com- 
pany. Probably  her  greatest  success 
was  in  the  creation  of  the  title  role 
of  Trilby. 

MRS.  LILLIE  LANGTRY. 

Mrs.  Lillie  Langtry,  if  she  has  done 
nothing  else,  has  proven  that  a  wo- 
man can  command  admiration  even 
when  she  is  no  longer  in  the  first 
flush  of  her  youth  or  in  the  full  bloom 
of  her  womanhood.  This  statement 
is  made  in  view  of  the  public  regard 
which  she  still  enjoys  as  an  actress, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  first  saw 
the  light  in  1852,  in  Jersey,  Great 


That  tender  and  graceful  exponent 
of  some  of  Shakespeare's  women,,  Ju- 
lia Marlowe,  was  born  at  Coldbeck, 
Cumberlandshire,  England,  August 
17,  1870.  She  came  with  her  parents 
to  this  country  when  she  was  five 
years  of  age.  After  a  period  spent 
in  Kansas,  the  family  removed  to  Cin- 
cinnati, where  she  attended  public 
school  until  she  was  twelve  years  of 
age.  She  then  became  a  member  of 
a  juvenile  opera  company  which  pro- 
duced Pinafore,  Chimes  of  Nor- 
mandy, etc.  After  several  years  of 
arduous  work  and  study,  she  appeared 
in  New  York,  but  was  a  failure. 
Not  discouraged,  however,  she  went 
to  work  to  study  again,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1897  attained  that  recogni- 
tion from  a  metropolitan  audience  for 
which  she  had  striven  so  faithfully. 
Since  that  time  she  has  advanced  in 
her  profession  and  has  secured  a 
prominent  place  among  the  leading 
actresses  of  to-day. 


ORGANIZERS  AND  LECTURERS. 


CYNTHIA  MAY  WESTOVER  ALDEN. 


She  was  born  at  Afton,,  Iowa,  May 


Mrs.  Cynthia  May  Westover  Alden     31,  1862,  being  the  daughter  of  Oliver 


is  an  example  of  the  possibilities  of 
journalism  as  a  vocation  for  women. 


S.   and   Lucilda    (Lewis)    Westover. 
After  a  period  spent  in  local  common 


683 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


schools,  she  graduated  from  the  Col- 
orado state  university  and  the  Den- 
ver business  college.  Subsequently 
she  taught  geology,  book-keeping  and 
vocal  and  instrumental  music.  The 
owner  of  an  excellent  voice,  she  was 
for  some  years  a  soprano  soloist  in 
several  church  choirs  in  New  York. 
In  1887  she  was  appointed  United 
States  inspector  of  customs  at  the 
port  of  New  York,  and  during  her 
term  of  service  as  such  made  many 
important  seizures.  She  was  also  sec- 
retary in  a  municipal  department  of 
New  York,  and  for  a  time  was  an 
employee  of  the  New  York  state  mu- 
seum of  natural  history,  resigning 
therefrom  to  engage  in  journalism. 
After  editing  the  woman's  depart- 
ment of  the  New  York  Recorder,  she 
took  charge  of  a  similar  department 
on  the  New  York  Tribune.  She  is 
now  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  La- 
dies' Home  Journal.  Mrs.  Alden  is 
also  the  founder  and  president-gen- 
eral of  the  International  Sunshine 
society.  Her  life  has  been  as  busy 
as  useful,  and  she  has  made  for  her- 
self a  large  circle  of  friends  who, 
though  not  knowing  her  personally, 
are  nevertheless  acquainted  with  her 
through  the  medium  of  the  kindly 
and  helpful  journalism  with  which 
she  is  so  generally  identified. 

CLARA  BARTON. 

That  most  noted  and  beloved  of 
humanitarians,  Clara  Barton,  is  of 
Puritan  ancestry,  being  born  in  Ox- 
ford, Massachusetts,  in  1830.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Captain  Stephen 
and  Sally  Stone  Barton,  and  was 
educated  at  Clinton,  New  York. 
When  still  very  young  she  founded 
a  seminary  for  girls  at  Elizabeth- 
town,  New  Jersey.  Later,  she  be- 
came principal  of  the  first  public 
school  in  Bordentown,  New  Jersey, 
resigned  through  sickness  and  was 
the  first  woman  to  hold  a  regular 


clerical  position  under  the  govern- 
ment, afterward  being  appointed  to 
the  patent  office  at  Washington,  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia.  During  the  Civil 
war  she  was  instrumental  in  forming 
the  famous  sanitary  commission 
which  did  such  magnificent  work  for 
the  sick  and  wounded  at  Bull  Run, 
Antietam,  Spottsylvania  and  many 
other  battlefields  of  the  war.  When 
the  Andersonville  prisoners  were  re- 
leased they  received  timely  aid 
through  her  relief  work,  and  by  her 
earnest  efforts  the  fate  of  over  thirty 
thousand  missing  men  was  ascertain- 
ed by  means  of  the  bureau  of  records 
which  she  organized  at  Washington. 
During  the  Franco-Prussian  war  she 
and  her  assistants  nursed  the  sick 
and  wounded  in  Strasburg  and  Metz. 
In  the  days  of  the  Commune  she  en- 
tered Paris,  distributing  food  and 
clothing  to  the  hungry  and  starving. 
On  her  return  to  the  United  States 
in  1873,  she  started  the  successful 
movement  to  obtain  recognition  of 
the  projected  Red  Cross  society  from 
the  government.  In  1882  the  society 
was  organized  and  she  became  its 
first  president.  In  that  capacity  she 
has  superintended  the  work  of  giving 
help  to  sufferers  from  the  Michigan 
forest  fires,  the  earthquake  at  Char- 
leston, floods  on  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi, 1884;  the  Johnstown  flood, 
the  Galveston  disaster,  1900,  etc. 
Wherever  there  has  been  a  cry  from 
the  sufferer,  Clara  Barton,  often  in 
the  face  of  almost  insurmountable 
difficulties  and  constant  danger,  has 
ever  responded  to  the  call  of  duty. 

FRANCIS  EDWARD  CLARK. 

Francis  Edward  Clark,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  United  Societies  of  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  comes  of  New  Eng- 
land stock,  although  he  was  born  in 
Aylmer,  province  of  Quebec,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1851.  His  parents  died 
when  he  was  a  child*  and  his  uncle, 


684 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


the  Rev.  E.  W.  Clark,  adopted  him 
and  took  him  to  Claremont,  New 
Hampshire.  Thus  it  was  that  he 
acquired  a  new  name  and  country. 
Education  and  home  influence  in- 
clined him  to  the  ministry,  and  he 
early  decided  to  become  a  clergyman. 
After  an  academic  and  college  course 
— the  latter  at  Dartmouth — he  studied 
theology  for  three  years  at  Andover, 
and  was  later  appointed  pastor  of 
Williston  church,  Portland,  Maine,  a 
small  mission  from  which  he  built  a 
large  Congregational  church.  One  of 
his  many  ideas  was  the  exaction  of  a 
pledge  of  faithful  Christian  endeavor 
from  the  members  of  his  Bible  class- 
es. The  results  were  of  so  marked 
a  nature  that  the  well-known  society 
of  which  he  is  president  was  a  con- 
sequence thereof.  Churches  of  many 
denominations  endorsed  the  idea,  and 


within  a  few  years  national  conven- 
tions of  the  organization  were  held  THOMAS  DIXON,  JR. 


placed  under  the  instruction  of  pri- 
vate tutors,  and  subsequently  studied 
art  and  literature  abroad.  Returning 
to  this  country,  she  became  head  as- 
sistant in  the  Chapman  school,  Bos- 
ton, taught  for  some  time  in  the 
Hartford  female  seminary  and  finally 
was  made  principal  of  the  Van  Nor- 
man institute,  New  York.  Marrying 
John  B.  Dickinson,  a  New  York 
banker,  she  on  his  death  some  years 
since  became  professor  of  belles  let- 
tres,  emeritns  professor  and  lecturer 
at  Denver  university.  She  is  now 
connected  in  an  official  capacity  with 
a  number  of  philanthropic  and  re- 
ligious institutions,  is  the  editor  of 
Lend  a  Hand  Magazine,  and  for  ten 
years  has  edited  The  Silver  Cross. 
She  has  written  poems  and  works  of 
fiction  which  are  illustrative  of  vari- 
ous lines  of  philanthropic  work. 


which  made  the  world  think  that  a 
tidal  wave  of  religious  enthusiasm 
was  sweeping  over  it.  An  organ  of 
the  movement  was  founded,  entitled 
"The  Golden  Rule,"  with  Dr.  Clark 
as  editor-in-chief.  The  work  con- 
tinued to  grow,  and  finally  he  was 
compelled  to  resign  from  the  pastor- 
ate in  order  to  devote  himself  to  the 
needs  of  the  society.  The  movement 
has  extended  all  over  the  world,  and 


Thomas  Dixon,  Jr.,  lecturer,  writer 
and  clergyman,  was  born  in  Shelby, 
North  Carolina,  January  n,  1864,  his 
father  being  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dixon. 
He  graduated  from  Wake  Forest 
college,  North  Carolina,  in  1883,  from 
the  Greensboro,  North  Carolina,  law 
school  in  1886,  and  from  Johns  Hop- 
kins university  in  1899.  Harriet  Bus- 
sey  became  his  wife  on  March  3, 
1886,  in  Montgomery,  Alabama.  He 


in  connection  with  it  he  has  organ-     was  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina 


ized  other  societies,  such  as  The 
Tenth  Legions,  The  Macedonian  Pha- 
lanx, The  Christian  Association,  and 
Quiet  Hour.  Dr.  Clark  was  mar- 
ried in  1876  to  Harriet  E.  Abbott. 
He  is  the  author  of  several  books 
dealing  with  his  life  work. 

MARY  LOWE  DICKINSON. 

Mrs.  Mary  Lowe  Dickinson,  the 
well-known  authoress,  was  born  in 
Fitchburg,  Massachusetts,  in  1897. 
She  received  a  preparatory  education 
in  the  common  schools,  then  was 


legislature  from  1884  to  1886.  Re- 
signing in  order  to  enter  the  minis- 
try, he  was  ordained  a  Baptist  clergy- 
man in  1887,  taking  a  pastorate  at 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  and  late  in 
the  same  year  accepted  a  call  to  Bos- 
ton. Two  years  later  he  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  has  become  noted  by 
reason  of  his  pulpit  treatment  of  top- 
ics of  the  day  in  a  manner  uniquely 
his  own.  He  is  the  author  of  several 
works  on  religious  and  social  prob- 
lems, one  of  which,  The  Failure  of 
Protestantism  in  New  York,  which 


685 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


was  published  in  1897,  has  attracted 
much  attention.  Mr.  Dixon  is  a 
forceful  speaker,  a  man  of  magnetic 
presence,  and  possesses  the  courage 
of  his  convictions  to  a  high  degree. 

HERBERT  HUNGERFORD. 

Herbert  Hungerford  was  born  at 
Binghamton,  New  York,  February 
22,  1874.  He  was  brought  up  on  a 
farm,  obtained  the  groundwork  of 
his  education  in  district  schools,  and 
graduated  from  the  academy  at 
Windsor,  New  York,  in  1895.  The 
following  year  he  entered  Syracuse 
university,  but  was  compelled  to 
leave  at  the  close  of  the  freshman 
year  on  account  of  illness.  Serving 
as  a  private  in  the  First  Regiment  of 
New  York  volunteer  infantry  dur- 
ing the  Spanish-American  war,  he, 
while  the  regiment  was  stationed  at 
Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  estab- 
lished, edited  and  published  the  News 
Muster,  which  was  a  unique  con- 
tribution to  the  curiosities  of  jour- 
nalism, being  the  first  illustrated 
newspaper  published  by  a  body  of 
soldiers  in  the  field.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  he  returned  to  Binghamtpn 
and  there  organized  the  initial 
branches  of  the  Success  league.  Later 
he  was  called  to  New  York  to  fur- 
ther and  take  charge  of  the  develop- 
ment of  the  organization  in  question, 
which  is  a  federation  of  literary,  de- 
bating and  self-culture  societies.  The 
league  has  developed  rapidly  under 
his  direction,  now  having  branches  in 
every  state  and  in  nearly  every  city 
and  town  of  importance  in  the  United 
States.  He  was  married,  in  1898,  to 
Grace  M.  Whipple,  of  Binghamton, 
New  York 

JOHN   MITCHELL. 

The  story  of  the  early  struggles  of 
the  labor  leader,  John  Mitchell,  is 
both  pathetic  and  inspiring.  A  son 
of  the  common  people,  he  has  risen 


from  being  a  poor  door-boy  in  the 
coal  mines  of  Illinois,  to  a  position 
of  great  trust  and  general  honor.  Mr. 
Mitchell  was  born  in  Braidwood, 
Brill  county,  Illinois,  February  4, 
1869,  being  the  son  of  Robert  and 
Martha  Mitchell.  Compelled  to  leave 
school  at  the  age  of  ten,  his  subse- 
quent education  was  obtained  by 
night  study.  He  afterward  studied 
law,  worked  on  a  farm,  became  coal 
miner  and  was  finally  attracted  to  the 
labor  movement,  which  at  that  time 
was  directed  by  the  Knights  of  La- 
bor. In  1888  he  took  an  active  part 
in  trade  union  affairs  as  president  of 
the  local  organization  of  the  Knights. 
Knowing  that  knowledge  is  power, 
he  read  everything  that  came  within 
his  reach  and  joined  debating  socie- 
ties, athletic  associations,  independ- 
ent political  reform  clubs  and  vari- 
ous other  organizations,  in  order  to 
take  advantage  of  the  several  oppor- 
tunities that  they  presented  to  him. 
When,  in  January,  1890,  the  order  of 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America 
was  organized,  he  was  among  the 
first  to  be  enrolled,  and  in  January, 
1898,  was  elected  its  vice-president. 
He  has  been  re-elected  every  year 
since,  is  also  second  vice-president  of 
the  American  Federation  of  Labor 
and  a  member  of  various  committees 
at  the  National  Civic  Federation. 
During  the  five  years  of  his  leader- 
ship the  unfon  has  grown  from  a 
membership  of  forty-three  thousand 
to  a  membership  of  over  three  hun- 
dred thousand.  He  has  brought  about 
many  reforms  in  the  interests  of 
labor.  His  chiefest  achievement  is 
that  of  securing  a  settlement  of  the 
recent  great  coal  mine  strike  through 
the  arbitration  commission  appointed 
by  President  Roosevelt.  He  has 
demonstrated  anew  the  force  of  the 
maxim  that  "It  is  to  him  only  who 
has  conquered  himseH  it  is  given  to 
conquer." 


686 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


ERNEST  THOMPSON-SETON. 

Historians  of  the  Wild — of  the 
denizens  of  fields  and  woods  and 
rivers — there  are  and  have  been,  but 
in  the  majority  of  instances  their 
work  has  been  confined  to  mere  de- 
scriptions of  the  personalities  of 
birds  and  beasts  and  fish  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  museum,  rather 
than  from  that  of  the  interested,  if 
unscientific,,  observer.  Ernest  Thomp- 
son-Seton,  however,  naturalist  and 
artist,  has,  through  the  medium  of  his 
books,  managed  to  so  wed  popular  in- 
terest and  scientific  data  that  the  re- 
sult is  fascinating  in  the  extreme.  He 
has  shown,  too,  that  to  a  man  of  tal- 
ent there  is  always  a  new  field  to  be 
discovered  amid  the  old  ones,  which, 
apart  from  all  else,  is  a  lesson  that 
no  one  can  afford  to  ignore.  Thomp- 
son-Seton  was  born  in  South  Shields, 
England,  August  14,  1860.  He  is  a 
descendant  of  the  famous  Setons  of 
Scotland,  Thompson  being  a  nom  de 
plume.  Coming  to  this  country  when 


a  boy,  he  at  first  lived  in  the  back- 
woods of  Canada  and  also  had  ex- 
periences on  the  plains  of  the  then 
far  west.  He  was  educated  at  the 
Toronto  collegiate  institute  and  also 
at  the  Royal  academy,  London,  Eng- 
land. In  1896  he  married  Grace, 
daughter  of  Albert  Gallatin,  of  San 
Francisco.  His  qualifications  as  a 
naturalist  becoming  known  to  the 
government  of  Manitoba,  he  was 
made  official  naturalist  therefor,  sub- 
sequently publishing  works  on  the 
birds  and  mammals  of  that  territory. 
He  studied  art  in  Paris  and  was  at 
one  time  one  of  the  chief  illustrators 
of  the  Century  dictionary.  His  works 
on  natural  history  topics  are  well 
known.  Thompson- Seton  is  what 
may  be  called  a  psychological  natural- 
ist, inasmuch  as  he  analyzes  the  men- 
talities of  his  subjects.  The  results 
are  seen  in  such  books  as  The  Biog- 
raphy of  a  Grizzly,  The  Trail  of  the 
Sand  Hill  Stag,  Wild  Animals  I 
Have  Known,  etc. 


CANADIANS. 


SIR  WILFRID  LAURIER. 

The  man  who  stands  before  the 
world  as  Canada's  most  distinguished 
statesman  is  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier, 
Premier  of  the  Dominion.  Sir  Wil- 
frid has  very  broad  and  very  opti- 
mistic ideas  as  to  the  destiny  of 
Canada,  and  these  he  expresses  with 
a  poetic  eloquence  which  never  fails 
to  arouse  enthusiasm.  His  oratory 
takes  lofty  flights. 

Sir  Wilfrid  was  born  in  the  Pro- 
vince of  Quebec  in  1841.  French 
was  the  language  of  his  childhood. 
He  went  to  school  in  his  native  par- 
ish, and  later  took  the  classical  course 
at  L'Assomption  College.  He  began 
in  1860  to  study  law  in  the  office  of 
the  late  Hon.  R.  Laflamme,  Q.  C, 
who  was  Minister  of  Justice  for  the 


Dominion  and  one  of  Sir  Wilfrid's 
colleagues  at  Ottawa,  when  the  latter 
became  a  member  of  Parliament. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1864. 
Eager  to  succeed,  he  devoted  himself 
so  zealously  to  his  legal  work  that 
after  three  years  of  practice  his 
health  gave  way,  and  he  was  forced 
to  retire  to  the  country.  In  the  town 
of  L'Avena  he  became  editor  of  Le 
Defrecheur,  a  journal  devoted  to 
political  and  social  reform.  It  was 
in  this  work  that  he  first  actively  in- 
terested himself  in  politics.  His  arti- 
cles in  the  journal  were  full  of  the 
earnestness,  enthusiasm  and  eloquence 
which  have  since  brought  him  fame. 
Country  air  agreed  with  the  young 
lawyer  and  writer.  He  regained  his 
health,  and  opened  a  law  office  at  St. 


687 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


Cristophe,  now  Arthabaskaville,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  he  removed 
to  Ottawa  as  Prime  Minister  of  Can- 
ada. He  first  held  office  in  1871,  when 
he  was  elected  to  the  Quebec  As- 
sembly. He  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
general  elections  of  1874,  was  elected 
by  the  same  constituency  to  the  Do- 
minion House  of  Commons,  and  when 
Parliament  assembled  was  given  the 
honor  of  seconding  the  address  in 
reply  to  the  speech  from  the  Throne. 
His  burst  of  oratory  on  the  occasion 
attracted  wide  attention  and  caused 
prophecies  to  be  freely  made  that  he 
was  destined  for  great  things. 

It  was  only  two  years  afterward, 
in  1876,  that  he  attained  the  distinc- 
tion of  a  position  in  the  Cabinet, 
being  appointed  Minister  of  the  In- 
ternal Revenue  in  the  Mackenzie  ad- 
ministration. His  constituency  did 
not  support  him  in  the  next  general 
election,  but  he  was  returned  to  Par- 
liament from  Quebec  East,  which 
constituency  has  ever  since  been  his 
political  sponsor.  When  the  Mac- 
kenzie government  was  defeated  in 
the  elections  of  1878,  Mr.  Laurier, 
who  had  by  this  time  become  the 
acknowledged  leader  of  the  Liberal 
party  in  Quebec,  joined  his  friends 
in  Opposition  and  waited  for  eighteen 
years  for  his  party's  return  to  power. 
This  came  in  1896.  Mr.  Laurier  was 
then  supreme  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, and  was  called  upon  to  organ- 
ize a  new  government.  Thus  it  was 
that  he  rose  to  the  exalted  position 
of  Premier  of  Canada  and  found  the 
opportunities  which  have  given  him 
so  high  a  place  among  the  world's 
statesmen. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  policy 
which  he  inaugurated  upon  his  rise 
to  power  was  that  of  a  preferential 
tariff  in  favor  of  Great  Britain.  It 
was  due  to  this  policy,  as  well  as  to 
his  high  position  in  the  affairs  of 
Canada,  that  when  he  went  to  Eng- 


land upon  the  occasion  of  the  Queen's 
Diamond  Jubilee  in  1897  he  was  re- 
ceived with  distinguished  honor.  The 
Queen  made  him  a  Knight  Grand 
Cross  of  the  Order  of  St.  Michael 
and  St.  George.  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge Universities  conferred  upon 
him  honorary  degrees.  Upon  a  visit 
to  the  Continent  of  Europe  during 
this  trip  abroad  he  was  entertained 
by  President  Faure  of  France  and 
was  received  by  the  Pope  at  Rome. 
When  he  returned  to  Canada  he  was 
greeted  with  great  enthusiasm  by  all 
classes.  In  the  general  election  of 
1904  Sir  Wilfrid's  administration 
gained  a  triumphant  endorsement  at 
the  polls. 

LORD  STRATHCONA. 

One  of  the  foremost  of  Canada's 
great  workers  is  Lord  Strathcona, 
who,  as  Donald  Smith,  was  born  in 
Scotland  in  1820.  He  received  his 
preliminary  education  in  the  common 
schools.  He  gave  up  the  law,  and 
became,  when  he  was  eighteen,  an 
employee  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany on  the  bleak  coast  of  Labrador. 

Here  he  remained  for  thirteen 
years,  becoming  one  of  the  company's 
most  valued  traders.  From  Labrador 
he  went,  in  1851,  into  the  wilderness 
of  the  Northwest,  where  he  rose 
through  the  grades  of  trader,  chief 
trader,  factor  and  chief  factor.  In 
1869  he  reached  the  top  rung  of  the 
ladder  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
receiving  the  appointment  of  resident 
governor. 

He  established  himself  in  Montreal, 
but  when  the  half  breeds  and  Indians 
under  the  leadership  of  Louis  Riel 
rose  in  rebellion  against  the  project 
of  transferring  to  the  Crown  the  vast 
tracts  of  territory  belonging  to  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  Donald  Smith 
again  utilized  his  remarkable  skill  and 
experience  in  dealing  with  these  chil- 
dren of  nature.  He  went  to  the  seat 


688 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


of  the  trouble  at  Red  River  Settle- 
ment, where  he  was  made  a  prisoner 
and  threatened  with  death.  He  ob- 
tained his  liberty,  and  through  his 
strong  but  adroit  attitude  toward  the 
rebels  was  able  to  keep  them  in  check 
until  the  arrival  of  troops.  As  a  re- 
ward for  this  achievement  he  was 
elected  to  the  Dominion  House  of 
Commons,  and  became  a  zealous  sup- 
porter of  the  administration  of  Sir 
John  McDonald. 

In  the  early  seventies  Donald  Smith 
undertook  to  raise  the  very  large 
amount  of  capital  necessary  for  the 
new  Canadian  Pacific  railroad  across 
the  continent.  On  more  than  one  oc- 
casion the  enterprise  threatened  ruin 
for  those  connected  with  it,  but  Don- 
ald Smith  eventually  triumphed,  and 
in  1885  the  road  was  completed  to  the 
Pacific.  The  man  who  had  commenced 
life  as  an  humble  trader  had  become 
by  this  time  a  celebrated  and  very  im- 
portant man  in  Canada,  and  in  recog- 
nition of  his  services  Queen  Victoria 
bestowed  on  him  in  1886  the  Grand 
Cross  of  the  Order  of  St.  Michael 
and  St.  George.  Upon  the  occasion 
of  the  Queen's  Jubilee  in  1897,  being 
then  Lord  High  Commissioner  of 
Canada,  Sir  Donald  was  raised  to 
the  peerage,  and  became  Lord  Strath- 
cona. In  commemoration  of  the 
Jubilee  he  gave  in  the  same  year, 
jointly  with  Lord  Mount  Stephen, 
the  sum  of  one  million  dollars  to  the 
Royal  Victoria  Hospital  in  Montreal, 
and  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars 
more  to  endow  the  institution,  which, 
through  his  generosity,  has  become 
one  of  the  best  equipped  hospitals  on 
the  continent.  Lord  Strathcona  has 
also  given  at  least  a  million  dollars 
to  education  in  Canada,  most  of  the 


money  going  to  McGill  University. 
He  has  also  contributed  largely  to 
the  Royal  Victoria  Hospital  for 
Women  in  Montreal.  Lord  Strath- 
cona's  philanthropy  is  made  the  more 
notable  by  the  fact  that  while  he  has 
large  means,  he  does  not  possess  the 
immense  wealth  of  some  of  the  Am- 
erican financiers.  In  addition  to  his 
railway  and  numerous  other  interests 
in  Canada,  he  is  president  of  the 
Bank  of  Montreal,  which  is  one  of 
the  largest  banking  institutions  in  the 
world. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  be- 
tween Great  Britain  and  the  Boers 
Lord  Strathcona  further  increased 
his  usefulness  to  Canada  and  the  Em- 
pire by  the  organization  of  a  body  of 
mounted  troops  called  "the  Strath- 
cona Horse."  These  men,  many  of 
whom  were  recruited  from  the  North- 
west, and  who  represented  the  flower 
of  Canadian  horsemanship  and  valor, 
went  to  South  Africa,  and  greatly  dis- 
tinguished themselves  in  the  service 
of  the  Queen.  Their  work  at  the 
front  was  not  as  important,  however, 
as  was  their  influence  in  the  direction 
of  solidifying  the  union  between  the 
mother  country  and  the  colony. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  is  now 
eighty-four  years  old,  Lord  Strath- 
cona is  still  a  restless  and  energetic 
spirit.  He  has  residences  in  Mon- 
treal, Winnipeg,  Nova  Scotia,  Scot- 
land and  London,  and  divides  his 
time  between  them.  In  London  he 
is  fond  of  entertaining  the  leaders  in 
political  and  commercial  life.  He 
spends  much  of  his  time  in  Canada, 
however,  and  often  makes  trips 
across  the  continent.  In  many  re- 
spects he  is  Canada's  most  remark- 
able citizen. 


689 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


ILLUSTRATORS. 


WILLIAM  DE  LEFTWICH  DODGE. 

Among  the  American  mural  decor- 
ators who  have  achieved  a  reputation 
which  is  not  confined  to  the  land  of 
their  birth,  is  William  de  Leftwich 
Dodge.  Some  of  the  principal  deco- 
rations of  the  Boston  public  library 
and  the  capitol  of  Washington  are 
the  outcome  of  his  genius.  He  has 
also  executed  a  number  of  private 
commissions,  and  in  each  and  every 
instance  has  given  evidence  of  fer- 
tile imagination  and  forceful  execu- 
tion. It  is  perhaps  too  much  to  say 
that  Mr.  Dodge  has  inaugurated  or 
suggested  a  new  school  of  mural  art, 
but  it  is  certain  that  he  has  so  modi- 
fied accepted  methods  that  the  results 
are  practically  without  precedent  as 
far  as  his  special  line  of  work  is 
concerned.  He  was  born  in  Liberty, 
Virginia,  and,  after  a  preliminary  art 
education  in  this  country,  studied  in 
Paris  and  Munich.  He  began  his 
career  proper  as  an  illustrator,  but  it 
was  not, long  before  he  realized  that 
his  future  lay  along  the  lines  of  deco- 
ration rather  than  in  the  pages  of 
publications,  and,  as  has  been  inti- 
mated, his  successes  Lave  vindicated 
the  wisdom  of  his  decision.  He  has 
been  awarded  the  third  medal  of  the 
Concours  d' Atelier,  Paris;  the  gold 
medal,  Prize  Fund  exposition,  1886; 
three  medals  Cours  Yvon,  1887 ;  Prix 
d' Atelier,  1888,  and  medal  of  the  Co- 
lumbian exposition,  1893. 

CHARLES  MENTE. 

Charles  Mente,  a  popular  illustra- 
tor, comes  of  a  musical  family,  and 
so  narrowly  escaped  being  a  musician 
instead  of  an  artist.  He  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  afterward  learned 
wood-carving,  making  figureheads 
and  ornamental  work  on  furniture. 


This  work  was  not  to  his  taste,  how- 
ever, so  he  entered  the  credit  depart- 
ment of  A.  T.  Stewart's  store,  New 
York  city.  This  was  even  more  dis- 
tasteful, and,  resigning,  he  spent  his 
evenings  attending  Cooper  institute 
art  classes,  and  later  the  art  students' 
league.  At  that  time  all  illustrations 
were  drawn  on  wood.  Mr.  Mente's 
first  drawing  was  for  Harper  & 
Brothers,  and  was  successful,  and  for 
two  years  he  worked  for  that  firm. 
By  the  end  of  that  period  he  had 
managed  to  save  about  $1,500,  with 
which  he  went  abroad  to  study  in 
Munich  at  the  Royal  academy.  There 
he  received  a  medal,  with  honorable 
mention.  Coming  back  to  New  York, 
he  was  engaged  as  a  teacher  of  paint- 
ing at  the  Gotham  art  students' 
league,  but  gave  up  this  position  to 
devote  himself  to  painting  and  illus- 
tration. He  has  received  first  prize  at 
the  exposition  of  the  Chicago  society 
of  artists,  a  gold  medal  of  the  Art 
club  of  Philadelphia  in  1895,  and  a 
diploma  of  excellence  and  silver 
medal  at  the  Cotton  States'  interna- 
tional exposition,  Atlanta,  Georgia,  in 
1895.  Mr.  Mente's  reputation  rests 
to  a  great  extent  on  his  pictures 
based  on  inspirational  subjects. 

THURE  DE  THULSTRUP. 

The  vigor  of  the  work  of  Thure  de 
Thulstrup  is  known  to  the  reading 
public  mainly  through  his  illustra- 
tions in  metropolitan  magazines,  but 
he  has  also  painted  a  number  of  can- 
vases which  show  that  he  is  as  much 
at  home  with  the  brush  as  with  the 
crayon  or  pencil.  Thulstrup  was 
born  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  and,  af- 
ter graduating  from  the  Royal  Swed- 
ish military  academy,  was  commis- 
sioned a  lieutenant  of  artillery  in  the 
army  of  that  country.  But  being  of 


690 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


an  adventurous  spirit,  he  went  to  Al- 
giers, where  he  enlisted  in  the  First 
Zouave  Regiment  of  the  French 
army,  saw  some  service  in  Northern 
Africa,  and  was  afterward  given  a 
commission  in  the  Foreign  Legion. 
While  a  member  of  that  body,  he 
took  part  in  the  Franco-German  war 
of  i87O-'7i,  and  also  assisted  in 
crushing  the  Commune  in  Paris.  In 
1872  he  set  sail  for  Canada,  where  he 
obtained  a  position  as  civil  engineer. 
From  his  boyhood  he  had  delighted 
in  sketching,  and  it  was  about  this 
time  that  he  determined  to  put  his 
artistic  gifts  to  practical  use.  His 
debut  as  an  illustrator  was  with  the 


New  York  Daily  Graphic  in  the  7o's. 
Subsequently  he  became  connected 
with  the  Frank  Leslie  Magazine  and 
with  Harper  &  Brothers,  and  it  was 
his  work  with  the  last  named  firm 
that  established  his  reputation  as  an 
illustrator.  He  has  painted  a  number 
of  military  pictures,  including  a  series 
of  twelve  which  have  to  do  with  stir- 
ring events  of  the  Civil  war  in  this 
country.  Recently  he  has  been  en- 
gaged on  canvases  which  illustrate 
cavalier  life  in  Virginia  in  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  has 
drawn  the  pictures  of  a  number  of 
books. 


CARTOONISTS. 


T.  S.  ALLEN. 

One  of  the  artists  whose  purpose  in 
life  seems  to  be  smile-breeding  is  T. 
S.  Allen.  Well  known  in  connection 
with  his  work  in  the  columns  of  the 
New  York  American,  his  studies  of 
and  contingent  jokes  on  "tough" 
youngsters  under  the  caption  of 
"Just  Kids"  are  full  of  genuine  hu- 
mor. Mr.  Allen  was  born  in  1869, 
in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  Transylvania  university,  of 
that  state.  After  some  years  spent  in 
writing  jokes,  jingles,  etc.,  for  local 
and  New  York  newspapers,  he  began 
to  illustrate  the  same  in  a  manner 
which  quickly  caught  the  attention 
of  editors.  To-day  he  has  an  estab- 
lished reputation  as  a  graphic  humor- 
ist, and  his  work  finds  a  ready  and 
remunerative  market. 

CHARLES  G.  BUSH. 

Charles  G.  Bush,  the  cartoonist  of 
the  New  York  World,  is  an  example 
of  success  achieved  comparatively 
late  in  life.  His  early  work  consisted 
for  the  most  part  of  magazine  illus- 


trations of  a  serious  nature.  After 
studying  in  Paris,  under  Bonnat,  he, 
on  his  return  to  America,  endeavored 
to  follow  a  career  of  painting,  but 
fate  willed  it  otherwise.  In  1895  Mr. 
Bush  drew  a  cartoon  in  which  David 
B.  Hill  was  the  principal  figure.  The 
New  York  Herald  accepted  the  pic- 
ture, and  the  next  morning  Mr.  Bush 
woke  up  to  find  himself  famous  as  a 
cartoonist.  From  thence  on  his  ca- 
reer has  been  one  of  more  or  less 
constant  successes. 

Louis  DALRYMPLE. 

Louis  Dalrymple,,  the  illustrator  and 
cartoonist,  was  born  at  Cambridge, 
Illinois,  January  19,  1861.  After  re- 
ceiving a  common  school  education, 
he  entered  the  Pennsylvania  academy 
of  fine  arts,  graduated  from  it  with 
credit  and  later  studied  at  the  art  stu- 
dents' league  of  New  York.  Subse- 
quently he  branched  out  for  himself 
and  began  to  submit  drawings  to  the 
metropolitan  comic  publications  and 
newspapers.  Work  of  this  kind  se- 
cures immediate  recognition  for  an 


691 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


artist  who  can  comply  with  the  public 
demands  of  the  moment.  Mr.  Dalrym- 
ple  being  not  only  clever  but  shrewd, 
it  came  about  that  within  a  very  short 
time  he  was  kept  busy  in  executing 
commissions.  His  work  is  character- 
ized by  a  delicacy  and  acumen  that 
prove  that  he  thinks  as  well  as  he 
draws. 

SYDNEY  B.  GRIFFIN. 

When  the  modern  daily  newspaper 
began  to  add  to  its  news  columns  the 
so-called  supplement,  there  was  a 
coincident  demand  for  artists  who 
had  the  gift  of  humor.  Sydney  B. 
Griffin  was  one  of  such,  and  for  some 
years  past  his  supply  of  unique  ideas 
seems  to  have  been  inexhaustible.  He 
was  born  October  15,  1854,  of  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  parents,  attended 
public  schools  at  Detroit,  Michigan, 
and,  in  1888,  came  to  New  York. 
When  his  first  ideas  were  presented 
to  Puck  they  were  declined,  but  upon 
his  taking  them  to  Judge  they  were 
accepted  forthwith.  Mr.  Griffin  took 
the  trouble  to  inform  the  Puck  peo- 
ple of  his  success  with  their  rivals, 
whereupon  he  was  told  that  his  work 
had  been  refused  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  it  was  so  excellent  that  it 
was  feared  that  it  was  not  original. 
However,  Puck  made  the  amende 
honorable  by  engaging  him  forthwith. 
Mr.  Griffin's  style  is  bold  and  slash- 
ing and  his  drawings  are  full  of 
point  and  power. 

R.  F.   OUTCAULT. 

In  the  world  of  illustrators,  the 
man  who  can  originate  an  idea  which 
excites  the  laughter  and  holds  the 
attention  of  the  public  is  indeed  for- 
tunate. Such  an  individual  is  R.  F. 
Outcault,  the  artistic  father  of  the 
"Buster  Brown"  series  which  appear 
in  the  Sunday  New  York  Herald.  He 
is  also  the  author  of  the  "Yellow 
vKid"  and  "Hogan's  Alley"  pictures 


of  the  Sunday  New  York  World,  and 
of  equally  laughable  creations  in  the 
New  York  American  and  other  pub- 
lications. Born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio, 
January  14,  1853,  he  was  educated  in 
that  town.  In  1888  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  Edison,  and  went  to  Paris 
in  the  inventor's  employ.  Returning 
to  this  country,  he  illustrated  for 
some  time  with  a  fair  degree  of  suc- 
cess, but  it  was  not  until  1894  that  he 
made  his  first  distinctive  hit  as  a 
comic  artist.  Mr.  Outcault's  personal 
description  of  his  daily  life  is  inter- 
esting. He  says:  "I  have  flowers,  a 
garden,  a  dog  and  a  cat,  good  music, 
good  books,  light  stories,  draw  pic- 
tures, smoke  a  pipe,  talk  single  tax 
theories,  am  a  member  of  a  couple  of 
clubs,  lead  the  Simple  Life." 

CARL  E.  SCHULTZE. 

Humor,  strenuous  and  wholesome, 
marks  the  work  of  Carl  E.  Schultze. 
His  name  is  literally  a  household 
word  in  this  country  by  reason  of 
that  quaint  conceit,  "Foxy  Grandpa," 
of  which  he  is  the  creator.  He  was 
born  on  May  25,  1866,  Lexington, 
New  York,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  town  and  at 
Cassel,  Germany.  On  his  return  to 
America  he  studied  art  under  Walter 
Satterlee,  of  New  York.  For  some 
time  later  he  seems  to  have  been  un- 
decided as  to  how  to  apply  his  gifts, 
but  an  accidental  sketch  submitted  to 
a  Chicago  paper,  resulted  in  his  be- 
ing forthwith  engaged  by  that  publi- 
cation. After  remaining  in  Chicago 
on  several  newspapers  for  some 
years,  he  took  a  trip  to  California,  do- 
ing further  artistic  work  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. At  length  he  determined  to 
beard  the  metropolitan  journalist 
lions  in  their  dens.  After  a  struggle, 
during  which  he  did  work  on  Judge 
and  other  New  York  publications,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the 
Herald,  where,  thanks  to  an  acci- 


692 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


dental  inspiration,  "Foxy  Grandpa" 
came  into  existence.  Later  he  be- 
came connected  with  the  New  York 
American.  Mr.  Schultze  is  a  man  of 
magnificent  physique,  and  is  held  in 
high  esteem  by  those  who  know  him. 
He  is  the  author  of  several  works  of 
comic  drawings,  and  "Foxy  Grandpa" 
has  been  dramatized. 

EUGENE  ZIMMERMAN. 

Eugene  Zimmerman's  cartoons  in 
Judge  are  characterized  by  an  in- 
sight into  the  political  questions  of 
the  hour  which  is  assisted  rather 
than  hindered  by  the  sheer  humor  of 
his  work.  He  was  born  at  Basel), 
Switzerland,  May  25,  1862.  While  yet 


a  baby  his  parents  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  at  Paterson,  New 
Jersey,  where  he  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  After 
leaving  school,  he  was  in  turn  a  farm- 
er's boy,  an  errand  boy  in  a  store,  a 
fish  peddler,  a  baker  and  a  sign 
painter,  but  sketched  and  drew  con- 
tinuously. In  1882  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion in  the  art  rooms  of  Puck,  and 
after  doing  considerable  work  for 
that  publication  left  it  in  order  to 
join  Judge.  He  has  also  illustrated 
books  and  articles  by  Bill  Nye  and 
James  Whitcomb  Riley.  As  a  cari- 
caturist pure  and  proper  he  is  almost 
without  a  rival  in  this  country. 


HUMORISTS. 


GEORGE  ADE. 

George  Ade  has  an  established 
reputation  among  those  who  are  lov- 
ers of  wholesome  humor.  His  sketch- 
es, given  in  a  picturesque  dialect,  are 
characterized  by  a  freshness  of  ob- 
servation which  is  aided  rather  than 
marred  by  the  so-called  slang  in 
which  they  are  written.  Born  at 
Kentland,  Newton  county,  Indiana, 
February  9,  1866,  he  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Lafayette,  Indiana, 
and  subsequently  became  reporter  and 
telegraph  editor  on  the  Lafayette 
Evening  Call.  In  1891  he  went  to 
Chicago,  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of 
the  Daily  News  of  that  city,  and 
afterward  joined  the  forces  of  the 
Tribune.  After  establishing  a  repu- 
tation as  a  humorist,  he  turned  play- 
wright and  has  scored  several  metro- 
politan successes.  His  Fables  in 
Slang,  issued  in  1899,  and  More  Fa- 
bles are  the  best  known  of  his  pen 
products. 

JOHN  KENDRICK  BANGS. 

John  Kendrick  Bangs  occupies    a 


distinctive  position  in  the  domain  of 
humor.  To  use  the  vernacular,  he  is 
in  a  class  by  himself,  and  so  the  prod- 
ucts of  his  pen  can  hardly  be  re- 
ferred to  or  compared  with  that  of 
any  other  of  the  writers  of  to-day. 
He  was  born  in  Yonkers,  New  York, 
May  27,  1862,  his  father  being  Francis 
N.  Bangs,  who  for  many  years  was 
the  president  of  the  Bar  association 
of  New  York.  Mr.  Bangs  graduated 
from  Columbia  university  in  1883  and 
entered  his  father's  office,  but  his 
humor  would  not  down,  and  so  it  was 
that  he  shortly  deserted  the  law  in 
order  to  become  the  associate  editor 
of  Life.  This  was  in  1884.  Since 
that  time  he  has  held  many  respon- 
sible journalistic  positions  in  New 
York,  and  in  his  present  capacity  as 
editor  of  Harper's  Weekly  has  added 
much  to  the  reputation  which  is  de- 
servedly his. 

SAMUEL   LANGHORN   CLEMENS. 

Samuel  L.  Clemens,  who  is  better 
known  as  "Mark  Twain,"  was  born 
in  Monroe  county,  Missouri,  Novem- 


693 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


her  30,  1835,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion at  the  village  schools.  On  his 
father's  death,  which  took  place  when 
he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  he  went 
to  work  in  order  to  contribute  to  the 
support  of  his  mother  and  little 
brothers  and  sisters.  As  an  appren- 
tice in  the  office  of  the  Hannibal 
(Missouri)  Courier,  he  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  his  reputation  as  author 
and  journalist.  Within  the  following 
twenty-five  years  he  was  steamboat 
pilot,  soldier,  miner  and  editor.  His 
first  contributions  under  his  famous 
nom-de-plume  appeared  in  1862,  in 
the  newspaper,  The  Virginia  City 
Enterprise.  Since  1872  he  has  de- 
voted himself  to  literary  work,  lec- 
turing occasionally,  and  making  fre- 
quent trips  to  Europe.  It  is  said  that 
nearly  a  million  copies  of  his  works 
have  been  sold.  Space  will  not  per- 
mit of  a  full  list  of  them,  but  Rough- 
ing It,  The  Prince  and  the  Pauper,  A 
Connecticut  Yankee  in  King  Arthur's 
Court,  and  Pudden-Head  Wilson  are 
classics  whose  popularity  bids  fair  to 
last  as  long  as  American  literature 
itself. 

FINLEY  PETER  DUNNE. 

The  author  of  the  immortal  "Mr. 
Dooley"  is  Finley  Peter  Dunne,  who 
began  life  as  a  Chicago  reporter,  but 
is  now  under  contract  to  Harper 
Brothers  to  write  exclusively  for  their 
publications.  He  was  born  at  Chi- 
cago, July  10,  1867,  was  educated  in 
local  public  schools  and  began  his 
reportorial  life  in  1885.  After  serv- 
ing on  the  staffs  of  several  Chicago 
papers  he  became  editor  of  the  Jour- 
nal of  that  city  in  1897.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  he  conceived  "Mr. 
Dooley."  The  reputation  which  that 
unique  character  brought  him  result- 
ed in  his  being  engaged  to  contribute 
to  a  syndicate  of  New  York,  Chicago 
and  San  Francisco  newspapers,  and 


later  to  form  his  current  connection 
with  the  Harpers. 

SIMEON  FORD. 

Simeon  Ford,  the  after-dinner 
speaker  and  raconteur  who,  so  it  is 
said,  can  look  more  sad  and  at  the 
same  time  talk  more  humorously 
than  any  other  man  before  the  Amer- 
ican public,  was  born  in  Lafayette, 
Indiana,  in  1856.  After  an  education 
received  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
town  of  his  birth  he  studied  law,  but 
finding  that  there  was  but  little  mer- 
riment in  Blackstone  and  briefs,  aban- 
doned his  first  intentions,  and  after 
plunges  into  various  businesses,  drift- 
ed to  New  York,  where,  in  1883,  he 
fell  in  love  with  and  married  Julia 
Shaw,  the  daughter  of  the  proprietor 
of  the  Grand  Union  hotel.  He  forth- 
with became  a  partner  with  his 
father-in-law,  and  from  thence  on  has 
been  as  successful  as  a  hotel  manager 
as  he  is  famous  as  an  after-dinner 
speaker. 

ELIZABETH   MERIWETHER  GILMER. 

Elizabeth  Meriwether  Gilmer, 
whose  nom-de-plume  is  "Dorothy 
Dix,"  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Tennessee,  November  18, 
1870.  She  was  married  November 
21,  1888,  to  George  O.  Gilmer.  In 
1896  she  became  the  editor  of  the 
woman's  department  of  the  New  Or- 
leans Picayune,  and  contributed  to 
that  paper  a  series  of  articles  called 
Dorothy  Dix  Talks,  which  won  her 
immediate  recognition  as  a  humorist. 
In  1900  she  joined  the  New  York 
American  and  Journal  staff  as  a 
writer  on  special  topics,  which  she 
treats  in  a  breezy,  snappy  fashion. 

GEORGE  V.  HOBART. 

George  V.  Hobart,  the  humorist 
and  librettist,  who  is  well  known  to 
the  newspaper  public  under  his  nom- 
de-plume  of  Dinkelspiel,  was  born  at 


694 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


Cape  Breton,  Nova  Scotia.  When  a 
boy  he  studied  telegraphy  and  ob- 
tained a  position  as  an  operator  on 
one  of  the  Cumberland  (Maryland) 
newspapers.  One  day  between  the 
clicks  of  his  instrument  he  wrote  a 
humorous  story,  and  handed  it  to  the 
editor,  who  remarked,  "I  want  more 
of  that."  That  was  the  beginning  of 
the  famous  Dinkelspiel  sketches.  Mr. 
W.  R  Hearst,  of  the  New  York 
American,  saw  Hobart's  work,  called 
him  to  New  York.  He  is  the  author 
of  several  comedies  and  books  of 
musical  productions. 

MELVIN  DE  LANCY  LANDON. 

Melvin  De  Lancy  Landon,  "Eli  Per- 
kins," was  born  at  Eaton,  New  York, 
September  7,  1839.  After  a  course  of 
preparation  in  the  public  schools  he 


entered  Union  college  and  graduated 
in  1861.  One  week  later  he  received 
an  appointment  from  the  United 
States  treasury,  but  soon  resigned  his 
position  to  enlist  in  the  Union  army 
to  take  part  in  the  Civil  war.  He 
left  the  army,  in  1864,  with  the  rank 
of  major.  Next  he  became  a  cotton 
planter  in  Arkansas  and  Louisiana. 
Later  he  traveled  in  Europe  and  was 
secretary  of  the  United  States  lega- 
tion at  St.  Petersburg.  In  1877  he 
was  married  to  Emily  Louise  Smith. 
He  has  written  copiously  for  maga- 
zines and  other  publications.  But  it 
is  his  books,  Wit,  Humor  and  Pa- 
thos, Franco-Prussian  War,  Wit  and 
Humor  of  the  Age,  Kings  of  Plat- 
form and  Pulpit,  and  Thirty  Years  of 
Wit,  upon  which  his  reputation  as  a 
humorist  rests. 


JOURNALISTS  AND  WRITERS. 


STEPHEN  BONSAL. 

A  most  industrious  contributor  to 
magazines  and  writer  of  short  stories 
is  Stephen  Bonsai.  He  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1863,  and  educated  in  St. 
Paul's  school,  Concord,  New  Hamp- 
shire. After  finishing  his  studies  in 
this  countrv  he  went  to  Gottingen 
and  Heidelberg,  Germany.  Returning 
to  this  country,  he  entered  journal- 
ism. In  this  connection  he  is  best 
known  as  representing  the  New  York 
Herald  during  the  Bulgarian-Servian 
war.  In  the  service  of  that  news- 
paper, he  also  went  to  Macedonia, 
Morocco  and  Cuba.  Leaving  news- 
paper work,  he  next  entered  the 
United  States  diplomatic  service  and 
was  secretary  of  legation  and  charge 
d'affaires  in  Pekin,  Madrid,  Tokio 
and  Corea  from  1890  to  1896.  Be- 
sides his  magazine  work,  he  is  the 
author  of  several  books,  including 
Morocco  As  It  Is  and  The  Real  Con- 
dition of  Cuba. 


RICHARD  HARDING  DAVIS. 

Like  many  other  authors,  Richard 
Harding  Davis  comes  of  literary 
stock,  his  father  being  S.  Clark  Davis, 
editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Public 
Ledger,  and  his  mother  Rebecca 
Harding  Davis,  whose  works  of  fic- 
tion have  brought  her  a  certain 
amount  of  public  notice.  After  grad- 
uating from  the  Lehigh  university  of 
Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Davis  made  a  rep- 
utation for  himself  in  newspaper  cir- 
cles in  his  native  city.  He  is  a  ver- 
satile writer  and  prefers  fiction  to 
fact.  He  first  attained  prominence 
through  the  medium  of  his  Van  Bib- 
ber Sketches.  War  correspondent  as 
well  as  novelist,  his  life  has  been  filled 
with  stirring  incident.  Mr.  Davis  has 
been  charged  with  egotism  by  his 
critics,  but  every  man  who  is  con- 
scious of  his  individuality  is  subject 
to  such  attacks.  Married  Cecil  Clark, 
daughter  of  J.  M.  Clark,  of  Chicago, 
April  4,  1800- 


695 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


HAMLIN  GARLAND. 

One  of  the  best-known  makers  of 
magazine  literature  is  Hamlin  Gar- 
land, who  was  born  in  West  Salem, 
Wisconsin,  September  16,  1860,  of 
English-Dutch  parentage.  In  1881  his 
studies  were  completed  in  Cedar  Val- 
ley seminary,  Wisconsin,  and  he  next 
spent  some  years  in  traveling  and 
teaching  in  the  east.  Later  he  took 
the  lecture  platform,  was  an  occa- 
sional writer  of  sketches  and  short 
stories,  and  spent  some  time  in  Bos- 
ton studying  and  teaching.  He  is  an 
ardent  advocate  of  the  single  tax  doc- 
trine and  several  of  his  works  have 
to  do  with  the  struggles  of  the  poor 
against  existing  conditions.  He  has 
also  written  a  number  of  books  of 
fiction. 

DAVID  G.  PHILLIPS. 

David  G.  Phillips,  one  of  the  latest 
of  American  authors  to  achieve  a 
measurable  success  and  to  give  prom- 
ises of  a  literary  future,  was  born  in 
Indianapolis  in  1866,  his  father  being 
a  banker  in  that  city.  After  a  season 
spent  in  the  local  public  schools  and 
a  preparatory  collegiate  course,  Mr. 
Phillips  went  to  Yale,  and  while  there 
determined  to  become  either  a  jour- 
nalist or  an  author.  On  graduating 
he  decided  to  go  into  newspaper  work 
and  so  became  a  member  of  the  re- 
portorial  staff  of  the  New  York 
World.  It  was  not  long  before  he 
attracted  the  attention  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Pulitzer,  the  proprietor  of  the  World. 
Mr.  Phillips  was  in  consequence  given 
an  editorial  position.  After  some  time 
spent  in  the  service  of  the  World,  Mr. 
Phillips  resigned  in  order  to  turn  his 
attention  to  novel  writing.  Of  his 
books  A  Golden  Fleece  and  The  Great 
God  Success  have  been  fairly  well  re- 
ceived, but  his  last  work.  The  Con- 
fessions of  a  Croesus,  is  distinctly  the 
best  thing  that  he  has  done  in  the 
way  of  pure  literature. 


CHARLES   GEORGE  DOUGLAS   ROBERTS. 

C.  G.  D.  Roberts  inherited  his  lit- 
erary instinct.  His  father  was  the 
Rev.  G.  Goodrich  Roberts,  and  he  is 
a  cousin  of  Bliss  Carman,  the  poet, 
while  several  of  his  ancestors  were 
professors  in  English  universities.  He 
was  born  in  Canada  in  1860.  Gradu- 
ating from  the  university  of  Bruns- 
wick, in  1879,  he  afterward  and  for 
several  years  taught  in  educational 
establishments  in  Canada,  but  in  1895 
devoted  himself  exclusively  to  literary 
work.  In  1897  he  became  associate 
editor  of  the  Illustrated  American, 
but  is  best  knowni  as  a  writer  of  na- 
ture stories,  several  of  which  have 
passed  through  two  or  three  editions. 

WILLIAM  THOMAS  STEAD. 

William  T.  Stead,  the  founder  of 
the  Review  of  Reviews,  and  a  con- 
stant contributor  to  a  number  of 
American  newspapers,  was  born  on 
July  3,  1849,  at  Embleton,  England, 
being  the  son  of  the  Rev.  W.  Stead, 
a  Congregational  minister.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  merchant  at  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne,  England,  and  began  to  contrib- 
ute to  local  newspapers.  His  jour- 
nalistic promptings  at  length  became 
so  imperative  that  he  deserted  the 
commercial  world,  and  after  a  pre- 
liminary struggle  became  assistant 
editor  of  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette.  Later 
he  founded  the  Review  of  Reviews, 
and  subsequently  the  American  Re- 
view of  Reviews.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  the  larger  questions  of  the 
day,  such  as  international  arbitration, 
psychological  problems,  etc.  Mr. 
Stead  has  a  place  in  his  generation 
and  fills  it  admirably. 

VANCE  THOMPSON. 

Vance  Thompson,  a  well  known 
journalist,  author  and  playwright, 
was  born  on  April  17,  1863.  He  grad- 
uated from  Princeton  in  1883,  and 


696 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


was  subsequently  a  student  of  the 
University  of  Jena  in  Germany.  He 
is  well  known  in  metropolitan  jour- 
nalism, having  held  the  position  of 
dramatic  critic  for  more  than  one 
New  York  newspaper,  and  he  has 
also  contributed  liberally  to  leading 
magazines  and  daily  publications  in 
general.  He  is  also  known  as  a  musi- 
cal critic.  Mr.  Thompson  founded 
a  fortnightly  publication  entitled 
Madamoiselle  New  York,  which  was 
characteristic  of  both  him  and  his, 
and  is  the  author  of  several  plays, 
pantomimes  and  books.  In  1890  he 
married  Lillian  Spencer,  of  New 
York. 

STEWART  EDWARD  WHITE. 

Stewart  Edward  White,  the  author, 
was  born  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
March  2,  1873.  He  studied  at  the 
high  school  of  the  town  of  his  birth 
and  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Michigan  in  1895.  Subsequently 
he  came  east  and  took  a  course  in  the 


Columbia  law  school.  Mr.  White  is 
still  a  bachelor,  is  a  fruitful  contribu- 
tor to  magazines,  and  has  written 
some  novels  which  have  been  given  a 
respectful  hearing,  these  including 
The  Westerners  and  The  Claim 
Jumpers. 

OWEN  WISTER. 

Owen  Wister,  who  is  best  known 
to  the  public  through  the  medium  of 
his  novel,  The  Virginian,  was  born 
at  Philadelphia  July  14,  1860.  He 
prepared  for  college  at  St.  Paul's 
school,  Concord,  New  Hampshire, 
and  was  graduated  from  Harvard  in 
1892,  being  admitted  to  the  Philadel- 
phia bar  some  years  later.  Instead 
of  following  the  profession  of  a  law- 
yer, however,  he  engaged  in  literary 
work.  Apart  from  his  novels,  he  has 
been  a  prolific  contributor  to  maga- 
zines and  other  periodicals.  His 
books  are  eminently  readable,  if  they 
are  nothing  else. 


POETS. 


THOMAS  BAILEY  ALDRICH. 

Judging  from  "The  Story  of  a  Bad 
Boy,"  which  is  partly  autobiographi- 
cal, Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich  spent  his 
boyhood  just  as  all  wholesome-mind- 
ed, healthy  boys  do,  in  having  a  good 
time.  He  was  born  in  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire,  November  n,  1836. 
While  he  was  still  a  baby,  his  family 
went  to  New  Orleans,  but  he  was  sent 
back  to  his  native  town  to  be  edu- 
cated. After  a  common  school  course, 
he  prepared  to  enter  Harvard,  but 
his  father  failed  in  business  and  soon 
afterward  died.  Although  young  Al- 
drich's  relatives  were  prepared  to  pay 
the  expenses  of  his  college  course,  he 
preferred  to  be  independent  and  de- 
cided to  begin  a  business  career.  So 
it  came  about  that  he  entered  the 


offices  of  his  uncle  in  New  York  city 
at  the  age  of  sixteen.  About  this 
time  he  began  to  contribute  articles 
in  prose  and  verse  to  Putnam's  Mag- 
azine, The  Knickerbocker  Magazine 
and  other  periodicals.  His  literary 
ability  finally  got  'him  a  place  in  a 
publishing  house  as  reader  of  manu- 
scripts and  of  proof.  His  first  book, 
The  Bells,  did  not  attract  much 
attention,  but  in  1856  he  published 
The  Ballad  of  Baby  Bell  and  Other 
Poems,  which  struck  the  popular 
fancy.  About  the  year  1860  he  be- 
came an  independent  writer,  contrib- 
uting to  various  publications,  but 
chiefly  to  the  Atlantic  Monthly.  In 
1870  he  became  editor  of  Every  Sat- 
urday, a  high-class  literary  weekly, 
which  was  founded  in  Boston  and 


697 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


effectively  edited,  yet  only  lived  four 
years.  In  1881  he  succeeded  Mr. 
Howells  in  the  editorial  chair  of  the 
Atlantic  Monthly.  In  this  same  year 
both  Mr.  Howells  and  Mr.  Aldrich 
received  from  Yale  university  the  de- 
gree of  LL.D.  Mr.  Aldrich  retired 
from  the  Atlantic  Monthly  in  1890. 
In  1865  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lil- 
lian Woodman,  of  New  York  city. 
Several  children  were  born  to  him. 

BLISS  CARMAN. 

Bliss  Carman  is  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick  and  began  life  as  a  civil 
engineer  and  school  teacher.  The 
muse  won  him,  however,  almost  from 
boyhood,  and  he  has  written  steadily, 
slowly  and  safely,  which  is  equivalent 
to  saying  that  he  has  written  progres- 
sively. Like  many  of  the  Canadian 
writers,  he  came  to  the  United  States 
to  seek  recognition.  Here  he  met 
three  other  Canadians — C.  G.  D.  Rob- 
erts, James  Clarence  Harvey  and  the 
late  Richard  Hovey.  They  formed  a 
talented  quartet  of  struggling  poets, 
and  their  little  world  known  as  "Vag- 
abondia,"  was  one  of  the  most  fasci- 
nating centers  of  American  Bohe- 
mianism  of  the  better  type.  Literary 
and  artistic  people  coveted  the  privi- 
lege of  entering  therein.  Mr.  Carman 
and  Mr.  Hovey  published  several  vol- 
umes of  songs  from  "Vagabondia." 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  best 
known  by  his  Coronation  Ode  and 
his  Sapphic  Fragments.  There  is 
a  fine  and  tender  quality  in  Mr.  Car- 
man's poems  that  accounts  for  their 
popularity  among  people  possessing 
that  which  is  known  as  the  "artistic 
temperament" 

RICHARD  LE  GALLIENNE. 

Richard  Le  Gallienne,  who  has  a 
personality  which  accords  with  that 
of  the  traditional  poet,  is  an  Irish- 
man by  birth.  In  spite  of  his  critics, 
his  place  in  the  world  of  letters  is 


assured,  mainly  by  reason  of  his 
poems,  of  which  he  has  issued  three 
volumes.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson, 
an  Elegy,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
of  Mr.  Le  Gallienne's  works,  and 
ranks  among  the  classic  elegies  of  the 
English  language.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  it  compares  favorably 
with  Gray's  Elegy  in  a  Country 
Churchyard,  Swinburne's  Ave  Et 
Vale,  and  Morris'  Wordsworth's 
Grave.  In  Mr.  Le  Gallienne's  verses, 
love,  romance  and  dainty  imagery  are 
effectively  mingled,  and,  as  a  rule,  the 
results  appeal  to  both  heart  and  ear. 
His  more  ambitious  works  are  those 
that  have  to  do  with  literary  criti- 
cism. He  has  also  written  books  on 
Kipling  and  Meredith,  which  for 
vivid,  close-range  studies  of  the  lives 
and  purposes  of  two  writers  whose 
ideals  are  diametrically  opposed,  have 
rarely  been  equalled.  The  output  of 
so-called  literary  criticism  is  so  volu- 
minous that  it  "tires  by  vastness," 
yet  the  demand  for  the  product  of 
Mr.  Le  Gallienne's  pen  still  exists. 
He  is  also  the  author  of  a  number  of 
novels.  That  he  is  of  industrious 
habits  is  proven  by  the  fact  that, 
while  only  thirty-six  years  of  age,  he 
has  produced  thirty  works,  the  last 
being  an  English  rendition  of  the 
odes  of  the  Persian  poet,  Hafiz,  Mr. 
Le  Gallienne  is  an  example  of  the 
possibilities  that  are  inherent  in  every 
man,  who,  having  determined  on  a 
given  line  of  work,  proceeds  to  follow 
it  to  success.  He  has  never  been  to 
college,  but  has  educated  himself  and 
so  possesses  all  that  belongs  to  a  col- 
lege curriculum.  He  has  undergone 
the  disappointments,  deferred  hopes, 
and  all  the  rest  of  the  unpleasant 
things  that  belong  to  the  struggling 
literary  man,  and  has  conquered.  The 
moral  is  obvious. 

ROBERT  ^  TACK  AY. 

Robert  Mackay,  who  is  one  of  the 


698 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


youngest,  but  none  the  less  promis- 
ing of  America's  poets,  was  born  in 
Virginia  City,  Nevada,  1871.  His 
father,  who  is  among  the  oldest  of 
the  living  "Comstockers,"  settled  in 
Nevada  over  fifty  years  ago,  when 
the  state  was  practically  unknown  to 
white  men.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  began  his  literary  work  when 
a  mere  boy  as  a  reporter  on  the  San 
Francisco  Chronicle.  Subsequently 
he  was  editor  and  assistant  editor  of 
several  papers  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
In  1895  he  determined  to  travel  over 
the  world.  The  trip  occupied  the 
greater  portion  of  five  years,  during 
which  period  he  visited  lands  where 
white  men  were  seldom  seen.  Natu- 
rally he  gathered  many  experiences, 
and  much  valuable  data.  While  Mr. 
Mackay  has  written  a  great  many 
poems  he  has  never  compiled  them  in 
book  form.  He  has  a  theory  that  too 
many  young  writers  throw  them- 
selves on  the  mercy  of  a  public  which 
do  not  know  them  and  necessarily  do 
not  care  for  their  callow  wares.  He 
therefore  proposes  to  mature  his 
work  until  he  is  satisfied  that  it  has 
a  fighting  chance  for  public  favor. 
Nevertheless  he  is  by  no  means  a 
stranger  to  the  public.  Those  poems 
of  his  that  have  appeared  in  a  num- 
ber of  periodicals  have  made  him 
many  friends.  Mr.  Mackay's  verses 
are  finely  fibered.  Technically  cor- 
rect, they  are  acceptable  to  those  crit- 
ics who  place  mechanism  on  the  same 
plane  with  motive.  But  they  are 
more  than  finished  specimens  of  the 
verse-maker's  art.  With  deft  and 
tender  fingers  he  plays  upon  the  heart 
chords  of  humanity,  and  these  ring 
responsive  to  his  sympathetic  touch. 
His  themes  are  those  that  are  as  old 
as  the  race,  and  as  imperishable. 
Mother  love,  wedded  love,  patriotism, 
the  eternal  yearning  for  the  higher 
life,  the  eternal  problem  of  the  here- 
after—such they  are— and  they  are 


treated  by  him  with  a  facile  sincerity 
that  marks  him  as  a  true  poet — one 
who  writes  not  for  the  sake  of  writ- 
ing, but  because  of  inner  spiritual 
promptings  that  will  not  be  denied. 

CINCINNATUS  HEINE  MILLER. 

The  personality  of  Cincinnatus 
Heine  Miller,  better  known  as  "Joa- 
quin"  Miller,  is  as  picturesque  as  has 
been  his  career.  In  turn  a  miner, 
lawyer,  express  rider,  editor,  poet 
and  newspaper  man,  Mr.  Miller  has 
amassed  a  fund  of  experiences  such 
as  rarely  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  ordi- 
nary individual.  That  his  literary 
gifts  enable  him  to  reproduce  in  vivid 
fashion  many  of  these  same  happen- 
ings is  a  matter  for  self-congratula- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  reading  pub- 
lic. What  is  yet  more  fortunate  is 
that  he  preserves  in  his  poems  the 
breath  of  the  prairie,  the  air  of  the 
mountains  and  the  "tang"  of  that 
west  that  is  rapidly  passing  into 
nothingness.  The  poet  was  born  in 
the  Wabash  district  of  Indiana,  No- 
vember 10,  1841.  In  1850  his  parents 
removed  to  Oregon,  and  there  is  but 
little  doubt  that  the  wild  and  beauti- 
ful scenery  amid  which  he  spent  his 
childhood  had  had  much  to  do  with 
fostering  his  then  undeveloped  poeti- 
cal instincts.  When  the  famous  rush 
of  gold  seekers  to  the  Pacific  coast 
took  place  in  1859,  young  Miller  was 
among  the  Argonauts.  He  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  particularly  suc- 
cessful in  his  'hunt  for  gold,,  and  re- 
turned to  Oregon  in  1860.  Then  he 
began  to  study  law,  supporting  him- 
self in  the  meantime  by  acting  as  ex- 
press rider  in  Idaho.  In  1863  he 
started  the  Eugene  (Ore.)  Demo- 
cratic Register,  which,  however,,  had 
a  brief  existence.  Later  he  opened  a 
law  office  in  Canon  City,  and  in  1866 
went  to  London,  where  'he  remained 
until  1870.  It  was  in  that  city  that 
he  published  his  first  book  of  poems. 


699 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


It  received  a  most  favorable  recep- 
tion, and  established  him  as  a  poet 
of  a  unique  type  and  quality.  Return- 
ing to  this  country,  he  did  some  years 
of  newspaper  work  in  Washington, 
D.  G,,  but  finally  drifted  back  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  devoted  himself  en- 
tirely to  literature.  In  1897,  acting  as 
correspondent  for  the  New  York 
newspaper,  'he  visited  the  Klondike  to 
compare  modern  miners  with  those 
of  '59.  Some  of  his  best  known 
books  of  poems  are  Songs  of  the 
Sierras,  Pacific  Palms,  The  One  Fair 
Woman,  Songs  of  the  Sunland,  etc. 
He  is  also  a  playwright.  One  of  the 
most  important  and  successful  of  his 
dramas  is  The  Danites.  He  lives  in 
a  picturesque  home,  known  as  the 
Heights,  at  Oakland,  California. 

HENRY  VAN  DYKE. 

"  Life  is  an  arrow  ;  therefore  you  must  know 
What  mark  to  aim  at  and  how  to  use  the  bow, 
Then  draw  it  to  the  head  and  let  it  go." 

These  words,  as  well  as  the  career 
of  the  well-known  author  and  clergy- 
man, the  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Van  Dyke, 
emphasize  the  fact  that  he  has  suc- 
cessfully pursued  his  all-absorbing 
ideal.  He  was  born  at  Germantown, 
Pennsylvania,  November  10,  1852,  his 
father  being  the  Rev.  Henry  Jackson 
Van  Dykei,  who  is  of  Dutch  colonial 
blood.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  and 


after  graduating  from  the  Brooklyn 
Polytechnic  Institute,  young  Van 
Dyke  entered  Princeton  college  and 
received  the  degree  of  A.B.,  with 
highest  honors,  in  1873.  While  an 
undergraduate  he  was  awarded  the 
junior  oration  prize  and  senior  prize 
in  English  literature.  He  was  also 
reception  orator  on  class  day,  and  on 
commencement  delivered  the  saluta- 
tory and  belles  lettres.  Upon  gradu- 
ating in  the  theological  course  from 
Princeton  seminary,  in  1876,  he  de- 
livered the  master  oration.  Later  he 
went  to  Germany  to  pursue  his  stud- 
ies in  divinity  at  the  University  of 
Berlin,  and,  in  1878,  returned  to  the 
United  States,  becoming  pastor  of  the 
United  Congregational  church,  New- 
port, Rhode  Island,  and  remained 
there  for  four  years.  In  1882  he  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  the  Old  Brick  Pres- 
byterian church,  Fifth  avenue  and 
Thirty-seventh  street,  New  York, 
which  was  founded  in  1767.  At  that 
time  the  church  membership  was 
small  and  its  financial  condition  far 
from  satisfactory.  But;,  thanks  to  the 
untiring  efforts  of  the  new  pastor,  it 
became  one  of  importance,  spiritually 
and  in  other  ways.  Since  1900  he  has 
been  professor  in  English  literature 
at  Princeton  university.  He  is  the 
author  of  numerous  books  of  wide 
circulation. 


CANADIANS. 


DR.  WILLIAM  OSLER. 

The  most  eminent  medical  man  of 
Canada,  and  perhaps  of  the  world,  is 
Dr.  William  Osier,  who  has  recently 
been  appointed  by  King  Edward  to 
the  exalted  position  of  Regis  Profes- 
sor of  Medicine  at  Oxford  University, 
England.  This  means  that  Dr.  Osier 
will  be  the  chairman  of  the  faculty 
of  this  great  university.  He  will  be 


its  head.  No  greater  distinction  than 
this  could  come  to  any  medical  man. 
Aside  from  the  honor  of  his  appoint- 
ment and  the  salary  of  $10,000  per 
year,  his  position  will  bring  Dr.  Osier 
a  private  practice  which  will  make 
him  one  of  the  most  highly  compen- 
sated physicians  in  the  world. 

Dr.  Osier  was  born  at  Bpndhead, 
Ontario,  July   12,   1849.     His  father 


700 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


was  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. Dr.  Osier  went  to  school  at 
Port  Hope,  Ont.,  and  afterward  en- 
tered Trinity  University  in  Toronto, 
where  he  received  his  academic  de- 
gree. The  only  distinction  he  attained 
at  college  was  the  reputation  of  being 
a  hard  student.  He  followed  out 
then  the  injunction  which  he  has 
since  often  made  to  students  of  his 
own,  namely,  "  love  to  labor." 

After  leaving  the  University,  Dr. 
Osier  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Bonell 
in  Toronto  as  an  assistant.  Here  he 
studied  three  years  and  then  entered 
McGill  University  at  Montreal,  where 
he  was  graduated  in  1872.  He  then 
went  abroad,  and  returning  to  Canada 
in  1875  was  elected  to  the  chair  of 
Institute  of  Medicine  at  McGill.  Some 
remarks  of  his  apropos  of  his  first 
plunging  into  teaching  are  worth 
quoting.  "  My  first  appearance  be- 
fore the  class  filled  me  with  tremu- 
lous uneasiness  and  an  overwhelming 
sense  of  embarrassment.  I  soon  for- 
got this,  however,  in  my  interest  in 
the  work.  Whatever  success  I 
achieved  then  and  throughout  my 
subsequent  career  has  been  due  to 
enthusiasm  and  constitutional  en- 
ergy." 

Four  years  after  Dr.  Osier  became 
connected  with  McGill  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  the  visiting  staff 
of  the  Montreal  General  Hospital.  In 
1883  he  was  elected  a  fellow  of  the 
Royal  College  of  Physicians  of  Lon- 
don, England. 

Dr.  Osier  became  in  1884  professor 
of  medicine  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  invited  in  1889 
to  create  the  chair  of  Professor  of 
the  Practice  and  Principles  of  Medi- 
cine at  the  Johns  Hopkins  Medical 
School  at  Baltimore.  It  was  his  work 
here  that  lifted  him  into  world-wide 
prominence  as  a  physician.  In  1890 
he  was  elected  dean  of  the  medical 
faculty  of  Johns  Hopkins.  Mean- 


while he  had  built  up  a  very  large 
private  practice,  and  was  one  of  the 
doctors  called  upon  to  treat  Presi- 
dent McKinley  after  he  had  been  shot 
in  Buffalo. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  Dr.  Osier's 
great  powers  of  concentration  have 
been  one  of  the  factors  in  his  remark- 
able success  in  his  profession,  he  is 
a  strong  believer  in  having  a  broad 
outlook,  and  avoiding  too  great  an 
absorption  in  any  one  line  of  work. 
He  has  said  in  an  address  to  stu- 
dents : 

"  Do  not  become  so  absorbed  in 
your  profession  as  to  exclude  all  out- 
side interests.  Success  in  my  profes- 
sion depends  as  much  upon  the  man 
as  upon  the  physician.  The  more  you 
see  of  life,  outside  the  circle  of  your 
work,  the  better  equipped  you  will 
be  for  the  struggle.  While  medicine 
is  to  be  your  calling,  see  to  it  that  you 
have  also  some  intellectual  task  which 
will  keep  you  in  touch  with  the  world 
of  art  and  letters.  When  tired  of  ana- 
tomy refresh  your  mind  with  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes,  Keats,  Shelley  and 
Shakespeare. 

"  I  advise  you  to  have  no  ambition 
higher  than  to  join  the  noble  band 
of  general  practitioners.  These  are 
generous  hearted  men,  with  well 
balanced,  cool  heads,  who  are  not 
scientific  always,  but  are  learned  in 
the  wisdom  of  the  sick  room.  No 
man  can  stand  higher  in  the  love  and 
respect  of  the  community,  and  wield 
a  more  potent  influence,  than  the 
family  doctor.  .  .  . 

"As  to  your  work,  I  have  a  single 
bit  of  advice  which  I  give  with  the 
earnest  conviction  of  its  paramount 
influence  in  any  success  which  may 
have  attended  my  efforts  in  life : 
Take  no  thought  of  the  morrow. 
Live  neither  in  the  past  nor  the  fu- 
ture, but  let  each  day's  work  absorb 
your  entire  energy  and  satisfy  your 
widest  ambition." 


701 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


SIR  GEORGE  A.  DRUMMOND. 

A  high  and  representative  type  of 
the  Scotchmen  who  have  done  so 
much  for  Canada  is  Sir  George  Alex- 
ander Drummond,  who  for  many 
years  has  been  very  actively  identified 
with  the  best  elements  in  Canadian 
commercial  and  social  life.  Sir  George 
was  born  in  Edinburgh  in  1829,  and 
in  1854,  after  graduation  from  Edin- 
burgh University,  came  to  Canada  to 
assume  the  management  of  the  ex- 
tensive sugar  refinery  which  had  been 
established  in  Montreal  by  the  late 
John  Redpath.  Though  the  refinery 
was  for  some  years  very  successful 
under  the  direction  of  Sir  George,  it 
was  closed  in  1874  because  of  the 
appalling  effects  of  a  high  tariff.  It 
was  reopened,  however,  in  1879,  when 
Sir  George  founded  the  Canadian 
Sugar  Refining  Company,  which  has 
exerted  a  strong  influence  in  the  up- 
building of  the  prosperity  of  the  Do- 
minion. Sir  George  steadily  grew  in 


commercial  power.  He  became  a  di- 
rector of  the  Bank  of  Montreal  in 
1882  and  vice-president  of  the  insti- 
tution in  1887.  For  two  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Montreal  Board  of 
Trade.  He  also  assumed  the  presi- 
dency of  the  company  which  owns 
very  valuable  coal  and  iron  mining 
properties  at  Londonderry,  Nova  Sco- 
tia, and  he  has  been  connected  with 
many  other  enterprises  of  importance. 
His  activities,  however,  have  been 
by  no  means  confined  to  commerce. 
He  has  been  president  of  the  Art 
Association  of  Montreal,  and  pos- 
sesses one  of  the  finest  art  collections 
on  the  continent.  He  is  an  enthusias- 
tic golfer  and  has  been  president  of 
the  Canada  Golf  Association.  He  has 
busied  himself  with  philanthropic 
projects  and  was  made  one  of  the 
trustees  of  Victoria  Order  of  Nurses 
in  1897.  He  was  called  to  the  Senate 
of  Canada  by  the  Marquis  of  Lorne 
and  was  knighted  by  the  Queen- 


AUTHORS. 


JAMES  LANE  ALLEN. 

Among  the  many  literary  lights 
which  the  south  has  given  us  is 
James  Lane  Allen.  He  was  born  in 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  in  1849,  and 
comes  of  one  of  the  old  Virginia  fam- 
ilies. Shortly  after  the  Civil  war 
broke  out  Mr.  Allen's  father  lost  his 
fortune,  and  James  in  consequence 
had  to  work  and  attend  school  simul- 
taneously. He  graduated  with  hon- 
ors from  the  Transylvania  university, 
Lexington,  in  1872.  Then  he  began 
to  teach  for  a  livelihood.  Subsequent- 
ly he  was  called  to  a  professorship  in 
Transylvania  university,  and  later 
was  a  professor  of  Latin  and  higher 
English  at  Bethany  college,  West  Vir- 
ginia. In  1884  he  went  to  New  York 
to  make  literature  his  profession.  He 
was  then  unknown  in  that  city,  but 


soon  gained  recognition  as  one  of  the 
most  poetic  and  dramatic  of  Ameri- 
can novelists.  Of  his  many  books 
The  Choir  Invisible,  A  Summer  in 
Arcady,  and  Aftermath,  are  perhaps 
the  most  in  demand  by  the  reading 
public. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  CABLE. 

A  novelist  who  works  on  original 
lines  is  George  W.  Cable.  He  was 
born  in  New  Orleans,  October  12, 
1844.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  neces- 
sity compelled  him  to  seek  employ- 
ment in  a  store.  In  1863  he  joined 
the  Confederate  army,  serving  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  Returning  to 
New  Orleans,  he  became  an  employee 
of  a  mercantile  house,  and  later  stud- 
ied civil  engineering.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  he  began  to  contribute  to 


702 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


the  New  Orleans  Picayune  and  was 
at  length  given  a  position  on  its  edi- 
torial staff.  He  returned  to  business 
life,  writing  in  the  meantime,  how- 
ever, for  Scribner's  and  other  maga- 
zines. His  sketches  of  Creole  life 
were  so  well  received  that  he  finally 
decided  to  devote  himself  to  litera- 
ture. He  has  produced  a  number  of 
works  whose  chief  characters  are  al- 
most all  of  the  Creole  type,  is  a  suc- 
cessful lecturer,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  religious  affairs. 

WINSTON  CHURCHILL. 

Winston  Churchill,  the  novelist, 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  No- 
vember 10,  1871.  He  received  his 
early  education  at  the  Smith  academy 
in  that  city,  and  when  seventeen  years 
of  age  was  appointed  a  cadet  of  the 
United  States  naval  academy  at  An- 
napolis. Graduating  therefrom  in 
1891,  he  joined  the  cruiser  San  Fran- 
cisco, but  his  tastes  being  more  lit- 
erary than  naval  he  resigned  and  be- 
came a  member  of  the  staff  of  the 
Army  and  Navy  Journal,  of  New 
York.  In  1895  he  was  made  editor 
of  the  Cosmopolitan  magazine,  but  a 
few  months  later  resolved  to  identify 
himself  with  independent  work  on 
original  lines.  His  first  book,  The 
Celebrity,  won  recognition  and  a 
certain  amount  of  popularity.  Mr. 
Churchill's  reputation  as  a  novelist 
rests  for  the  most  part  on  Richard 
Carvel  and  its  sequel,  The  Crisis, 
which  is  hardly  less  popular  than  was 
its  predecessor. 

FRANCIS  MARION  CRAWFORD. 

A  clever  and  popular  writer  is 
Francis  M.  Crawford,  who  was  born 
at  Bagni-di-Lucca,  Italy,  August  2, 
1854.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Craw- 
ford, the  sculptor,  and  comes  of  a 
long  line  of  literary  and  artistic  an- 
cestors. Francis  was  educated  in 
New  York  schools,  subsequently  en- 


tering Harvard,  but  did  not  complete 
his  course  there.  He  was  also  a  stu- 
dent at  Cambridge  university,  Eng- 
land, and  at  the  universities  of  Karls- 
ruhe and  Heidelberg,  Germany,  and 
the  university  of  Rome,  where  he 
gave  special  attention  to  Sanscrit.  In 
1873  Mr.  Crawford  was  compelled  by 
circumstances  to  adopt  journalism  as 
a  means  of  livelihood.  Some  years 
later  he  turned  his  attention  to  litera- 
ture proper,  his  first  book,  Mr.  Isaacs, 
appearing  in  1882.  Among  his  other 
well-known  works  are  A  Cigarette 
Maker's  Romance,  The  Three  Fates, 
Zoroaster,  etc.  He  is  also  an  artist 
of  considerable  ability  and  has  trav- 
eled extensively.  He  and  his  wife 
and  children  live  near  Sorrento,  Italy. 

RUDYARD  KIPLING. 

Rudyard  Kipling,  the  poet  and  nov- 
elist who,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  writer  of  this  generation,  has 
voiced  the  militant  spirit  of  the  Brit- 
ish empire,  was  born  at  Bombay,  In- 
dia, December  30,  1865.  His  father 
was  John  Lockwood  Kipling.  Rud- 
yard was  educated  at  the  United  Ser- 
vices college,  Devonshire,  England. 
Returning  to  India  at  the  end  of  his 
school  days,  he  became  the  assistant 
editor  of  the  Civil-Military  Gazette, 
and  subsequently  was  connected  with 
the  staff  of  the  Pioneer,  a  prominent 
newspaper  of  the  country.  The  well- 
known  Soldiers  Three  series  and 
those  other  of  his  works  which  have 
to  do  with  army  life  in  India  were 
the  outcome  of  his  Pioneer  experi- 
ences. In  1892  he  married  Caroline 
Balestier  at  Brattleboro,  Vermont. 
Mr.  Kipling  has  not  only  a  marvelous 
faculty  of  describing  things  as  they 
actually  are,  but  he  also  has  the  pro- 
phetic instinct  of  the  true  poet.  As 
a  case  in  point  may  be  cited  his  fa- 
mous Recessional,  written  at  the  end 
of  Queen  Victoria's  Jubilee.  The  full 
significance  of  the  poem  was  only 


7°3 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


realized  by  the  British  during  the 
disastrous  and  humiliating  periods  of 
the  Boer  war.  In  prose  and  poetry 
he  has  been  alike  fruitful. 


THOMAS  NELSON  PAGE. 

Thomas  N.  Page  was  born  in  Oak- 
land,  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  April  CHARLES  MAJOR. 


placed  him  on  a  high  eminence  as 
lecturer  and  literary  man.  His  books 
are  many,  and  for  the  most  part  have 
to  do  with  the  war  between  north  and 
south  and  the  reconstruction  period 
following  its  close. 


23,  1853.  The  Civil  war  interfered 
with  his  education,  and  left  the  Page 
family  in  an  impoverished  condition. 
Nevertheless  he,  during  this  period, 
was  gathering  material  which  result- 
ed in  the  production  of  those  two  de- 
lightful books  of  his,  Marse  Chan  and 
Meh  Lady.  Later  he  managed  to  se- 
cure a  course  at  Washington  and  Lee 
university.  At  the  law  school  of  the 
University  of  Virginia  he  secured  his 
degree  in  a  year,  and,  after  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  practiced  in  Rich- 
mond from  1875  to  1893.  During  his 
leisure  hours  he  did  work  which 


Charles  Major,  the  novelist,  was 
born  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  July 
25,  1856.  He  was  educated  at  the 
common  schools  at  Shelbyville  and 
Indianapolis,  after  which  he  studied 
law  and  engaged  in  practice  at  Shel- 
byville. But  his  literary  tastes  were 
stronger  than  his  legal  inclinations, 
and  he  began  to  contribute  to  maga- 
zines and  to  write  novels.  His  most 
famous  book,  When  Knighthood  was 
in  Flower,  was  issued  in  1898,  and 
reached  an  edition  of  several  hundred 
thousand.  In  1885  he  was  married  to 
Alice  Shaw. 


NOVELISTS. 


GERTRUDE  FRANKLIN  ATHERTON. 

One  of  the  most  vivid  and  enter- 
taining interpreters  of  the  complex 
characteristics  of  American  woman- 
hood is  the  versatile  and  entertaining 
writer,  Gertrude  Franklin  Atherton. 
She  was  born  on  Rincon  Hill,  San 
Francisco,  California,  October  30, 
1859,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lyman 
Horn,  of  German  descent,  and  on  her 
mother's  side  descended  from  a 
brother  of  Benjamin  Franklin.  She 
was  educated  at  St.  Mary's  Hall, 
Benicia,  California,  also  at  Sayre  In- 
stitute, Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  by 
private  tutors.  In  addition  to  this, 
she  had  obtained  a  good  foundation 
in  the  classics,  English  especially, 
from  the  teachings  of  her  grand- 
father. Before  leaving  school  she 
was  married  to  George  Henry  Bowen 
Atherton,  a  native  of  Valparaiso, 
Chili.  After  his  death,  in  1888,  Mrs. 


Atherton  went  directly  to  New  York 
city,  beginning  literary  work  in  earn- 
est. As  she  never  received  courteous 
treatment  from  the  press  of  her  own 
country,  she  settled  in  London  in 
1895,  and  there  met  with  gratifying 
recognition.  Some  of  her  most  im- 
portant works  are:  "The  Dooms- 
woman,"  1902;  "Patience  Sparhawk 
and  Her  Times,"  1897;  "His  For- 
tunate Grace,"  1897 ;  "American 
Wives  and  English  Husbands,"  1898; 
"The  Californians,"  1808;  "A  Daugh- 
ter of  the  Vine,"  1899;  "Senator 
North,"  1900.  The  latter  is  the  first 
attempt  in  American  fiction  at  a  pure- 
ly national  novel,  disregarding  sec- 
tion. The  Leeds  Mercury  styled 
"The  Californians"  an  oasis  in  fic- 
tion, while  the  British  Weekly  de- 
clared Mrs.  Atherton  to  be  the  ablest 
writer  of  fiction  now  living.  The 
brilliancy  of  her  portraiture  and  the 


704 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


humor  and  freshness  of  her  dialogues 
are  undeniable.  A  western  writer 
says,  "The  early  days  of  the  missions 
and  Spanish  rule  have  given  her  a 
most  congenial  field,  and  she  has  suc- 
cessfully reproduced  their  atmosphere 
in  her  best  novels;  against  the  back- 
ground of  their  romantic  traditions 
she  paints  the  world,  old,  strong  of 
passion,  vague,  dreamy,  idyllic,  yet 
strong  and  elemental." 

AMELIA  EDITH  BARS. 

Amelia  Edith  Barr  was  born  at 
Ulverton,  Lancashire,  England, 
March  29,  1831.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  Rev.  William  Huddleston. 
Her  mother's  family  were  among  the 
followers  of  the  noted  evangelist, 
George  Fox.  She  was  educated  in 
several  good  schools  and  colleges  and 
was  graduated,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, from  Glasgow  high  school.  In 
1850  she  was  married  to  Robert  Barr, 
son  of  a  minister  of  the  Scottish  Free 
Kirk.  In  1854  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barr 
came  to  America,  settling  at  Austin, 
and  later  at  Galveston,  Texas.  Her 
husband  and  three  sons  died  in  1857 
of  yellow  fever  and  Mrs.  Barr  was 
obliged  to  support  herself  and  three 
daughters  with  her  pen.  Two  years 
after  Mr.  Barr's  death  she  came  to 
New  York  city  and  received  immedi- 
ate encouragement  from  Mr.  Beecher, 
of  the  Christian  Union,  and  Robert 
Bonner,  of  the  New  York  Ledger. 
She  taught  school  for  two  years, 
meanwhile  writing  various  sketches 
and  miscellaneous  articles  for  maga- 
zines and  newspapers.  The  work 
which  gave  her  the  greatest  fame,  "A 
Bow  of  Orange  Ribbon,"  appeared  in 
serial  form  in  the  Ledger.  Since  1884 


acquainted  with  "Little  Lord  Fauntle- 
roy,"  one  of  the  sweetest  children's 
stories  ever  written,  but  not  so  many 
perhaps  are  acquainted  with  the  in- 
teresting life  story  of  its  author, 
Frances  Hodgson  Burnett.  She  was 
born  November  24,  1849,  in  Manches- 
ter, England,  and  while  yet  attending 
school  she  developed  a  talent  for 
writing  short  stories  and  poems  and 
even  novels.  When  her  father  died 
her  mother  brought  the  family  to 
America  in  1865,  settling  at  Newmar- 
ket, but  a  year  later  removing  to 
Knoxville,  Tennessee.  She  then  com- 
pleted a  story  which  was  planned  in 
her  thirteenth,  year,  and  succeeded  in 
disposing  of  it  to  Godey's  Lady's 
Book,  in  which  it  was  published  in 
1867.  Other  interesting  short  stori2s 
followed  in  this  and  in  Peterson's 
Magazine,  but  the  turning  point  of 
her  literary  success  was  "Surly  Tim's 
Trouble,"  which  appeared  in  Scrib- 
ner's  Monthly  in  1872,  attracting  a 
great  deal  of  attention.  At  the  invita- 
tion of  the  editor  more  of  her  publi- 
cations were  published  in  Scribner's, 
one  of  the  most  popular  being  "That 
Lass  p'  Lowries,"  which  appeared 
later  in  1877  in  book  form.  Mrs. 
Hodgson  has  been  twice  married,  the 
first  time,  in  1873,  to  Dr.  Swan  M. 
Burnett,  from  whom  she  obtained  a 
divorce  in  1898,  and  the  second  time, 
in  1900,  to  Stephen  Townsend,  an 
English  author.  Mrs.  Burnett,  by 
winning  a  suit  against  the  unauthor- 
ized dramatization  of  "Fauntleroy," 
secured  for  authors  of  England  the 
control  of  dramatic  rights  in  their 
stories,  for  which  Reade  and  Dickens 
had  spent  thousands  of  pounds  in 
vain. 


she  has  devoted  her  time  almost  en- 
tirely  to  the  writing  of  rmvels  and  PEARL  MARY  THERESA  CRAIGIE. 
short  stories.  '     The  authoress,  Pearl  Mary  Theresa 

Craigie,    more  familiarly    known    as 

FRANCES  HCDGSON  BURNETT.  John  Oliver    Hobbes,  was    born    in 

There  are  very  few  who  are  not     Boston,  Massachusetts,  November  3, 

705 


Encyclopedic  "Biographies,  or 


1867,  daughter  of  John  Morgan  and 
Laura  Hortense  (Arnold)  Richards. 
She  is  descended  from  early  settlers 
of  New  York.  After  being  educated 
under  private  tutors,  Miss  Richards, 
in  1883,  went  to  Europe,  continuing 
her  studies  in  Paris.  In  1887  she  was 
enrolled  as  a  student  at  University 
College,  London,  where,  under  the 
tuition  of  Professor  Goodwin,  she  ob- 
tained an  adequate  knowledge  of  the 
classics  and  philosophy.  In  early 
childhood  she  was  fond  of  writing. 
One  of  her  first  stories,  entitled 
"Lost,  A  Dog,"  appeared  in  Dr.  Jo- 
seph Parker's  paper,  The  Fountain. 
This  story  was  signed  Pearl  Rich- 
ards, aged  nine.  Another  of  her 
stories,  entitled  "How  Mark  Puddler 
Became  an  Innkeeper,,"  appeared  in 
The  Fountain  of  February  10,  1881. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  she  decided  to 
make  literature  her  profession  and 
immediately  took  up  a  special  study 
of  style,  especially  dramatic  dia- 
logues. Her  first  book,  entitled  "Some 
Emotions  and  a  Moral,"  1891,  is  an 
excellent  example  of  success  under 
difficulties.  This  book  was  composed 
during  months  of  weary  illness  and 
amid  the  strain  of  domestic  anxiety, 
but  its  success  was  immediate,  for 
over  eighty  thousand  copies  were  sold 
in  a  short  time.  Since  then  she  has 
written  several  other  novels. 


county,  Massachusetts,  and  received 
her  early  education  in  Randolph,  later 
removing  to  Brattleboro,  Vermont 
She  afterward  attended  Mount  Hoi- 
yoke  seminary,  South  Hadley,  Massa- 
chusetts, but  previous  to  this  she  had 
already  begun  her  literary  work,  writ- 
ing poems  and  then  prose  for  Youth's 
Companion,  Str  Nicholas,  Harper's 
Bazar  and  finally  for  Harper's  Mag- 
azine. "A  Humble  Romance  and 
Other  Stories."  1887,  placed  Miss 
Wilkins  in  the  class  with  Mrs.  Stowe, 
Miss  Jewett  and  other  conspicuous 
authors  as  a  delineator  of  New  Eng- 
land character.  The  simplicity  and 
the  astonishing  reality  of  her  story 
brought  a  new  revelation  to  New 
England  itself.  Her  literary  style 
displays  a  fearlessness  of  the  critic 
and  the  dominating  thought  to  be 
true  to  her  ideal.  "The  Pot  of  Gold 
and  Other  Stories,"  1891,  and 
"Young  Lucretia,"  1892,  are  among 
her  popular  juveniles.  "The  New 
England  Nun  and  Other  Stories," 
called  forth  the  most  lavish  praise. 
Her  next  work  of  importance,  as  well 
as  her  first  novel,  was  "Jane  Field," 
1892.  When  "Pembroke"  appeared, 
in  1894,  it  was  praised  almost  indis- 
criminately in  England,  some  critics 
even  venturing  to  say  that  George 
Eliot  had  never  produced  anything 
finer. 


MARY   ELEANOR   WILKINS-FREEMAN.     ANNA  KATHERINE  GREENE. 


"Wonderful  in  concentrated  inten- 
sity, tremendous  in  power,"  this 
record  of  the  heart  tragedies  of  a 
dozen  men  and  women  is  not  sur- 
passed in  our  literature  for  its  beauty 
of  style,  the  delicacy  of  its  character 
delineations,  and  the  enthralling  in- 
terest of  its  narrative.  It  is  the  praise 
merited  by  "Pembroke,"  the  greatest 
work  that  has  come  from  the  pen  of 
the  author,  Mary  Eleanor  Wilkins. 
She  was  born  of  Puritan  ancestors 
January'7,  1862,  in  Randolph,  Norfolk 


The  simple  stories  and  poems, 
written  in  her  childhood,  were  the 
beginning  of  the  career  of  the  au- 
thoress, Anna  Katherine  Greene,  who 
was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
November  n,  1846,  daughter  of 
James  Wilson  and  Anna  Katherine 
Greene.  Her  early  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools  of  New 
York  city  and  Buffalo,  and  she  com- 
pleted her  course  of  study  in  Ripley 
Female  College,  Poultney,  Vermont, 
graduating  in  1867.  Returning  to 


706 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


her  native  city,  she  engaged  in  lit- 
erary work,  and,  in  1878,  produced 
her  first  important  novel,  "The  Leav- 
enworth  Case."  She  attracted  imme- 
diate attention  in  literary  circles.  It  _  _  TT 
had  been  carefully  prepared  and  was  CONSTANCE  GARY  HARRISON. 


a  year  ever  since.  Miss  Jewett  adopt- 
ed the  pseudonym  "Alice  Elliott"  in 
1 88 1.,  but  after  that  she  used  her  own 
name  instead. 


given  to  the  public  only  after  repeated 
revisions.  It  had  a  phenomenal  sale— 
already,  in  1894,  exceeding  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  copies. 
From  that  time  on  there  was  a  great 
demand  from  the  publishers  for  books 
from  her  pen,  and  during  the  next 
seventeen  years  she  wrote  and  pub- 
lished fifteen  novels.  The  story  of 
"The  Leavenworth  Case"  was  dram- 
atized and  produced  during  the  sea- 
son of  1891  and  1892,  her  husband, 
Charles  Rohlfs,  to  whom  she  had 
been  married  in  1884,  sustaining  the 
leading  part,  Harwell.  The  book 
is  also  used  as  a  text-book  in  Yale 
university  to  demonstrate  the  fallacy 
of  circumstantial  evidence. 


SARAH  ORNE  JEWETT. 

A  writer  paid  a  just  tribute  to  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  when  she  wrote: 
"The  secret  of  Sarah  Jewett's  great 
success  outside  of  its  artistic  perfec- 
tion, is  the  spirit  of  loving  kindness  ELIZABETH  STUART  PHELPS  WARD. 


Constance  Gary  Harrison,  who  is 
better  known  to  the  reading  public  as 
Mrs.  Burton  Harrison,  was  born  in 
Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  April  25, 
1846.  She  was  educated  by  private 
governesses,  and  while  under  their 
tuition  gave  proofs  of  being  the  pos- 
sessor of  literary  ability.  During  the 
Civil  war  she  lived  with  her  family 
in  Richmond,  Virginia.  At  the  end 
of  the  conflict  she  went  abroad  with 
her  mother  to  complete  her  studies 
in  music  and  languages.  Mrs.  Har- 
rison has  traveled  much  and  has 
lived  in  nearly  all  of  the  continental 
capitals.  She  married  Burton  Harri- 
son, a  well-known  New  York  lawyer, 
and  since  her  union  to  him  has  re- 
sided in  the  metropolis.  Her  works 
are  many  and  range  from  children's 
fairy  stories  to  works  on  social  ques- 
tions, and  again  from  small  comedies 
to  books  on  municipal  problems. 


and  tender  mercy  that  pervades  it." 
She  was  born  at  South  Berwick, 
Maine,  September  3,  1849,  daughter 
of  Theodore  Herman  Jewett.  Her 
parents  were  both  descendants  of 
early  English  emigrants  to  Massa- 
chusetts. Sarah,  owing  to  delicate 
health  in  childhood,  spent  much  of 
her  time  communing  with  nature, 
where  she  received  material  and  the 
inspiration  that  eventually  made  her 
such  a  popular  writer.  She  was  edu- 
cated at  Berwick  academy,  in  her  na- 
tive city.  When  a  mere  girl  she  be- 
gan her  career  as  an  author  by  con- 
tributing to  Riverside  Magazine  and 
Our  Young  Folks.  At  nineteen  she 
sent  a  story  to  the  Atlantic  Monthly, 
and  has  been  averaging  nearly  a  book 


Heredity  and  environment  con- 
spired to  make  Elizabeth  Stuart 
Phelps  Ward  a  woman  of  letters. 
Her  father,  the  Rev.  Austin  Phelps, 
was  pastor  of  the  Pine  Street  Con- 
gregational church  of  Boston  at  the 
time  of  her  birth,  August  31,  1844. 
In  1848  he  became  a  professor  in  the 
theological  seminary  at  Andover, 
Massachusetts,  and  thus  his  daughter 
Elizabeth  grew  up  among  a  circle  of 
thinkers  and  writers.  She  received 
most  of  her  education  from  her 
father,  but  also  attended  the  private 
school  at  Andover  and  the  seminary 
of  Mrs.  Prof.  Edwards,  where  she 
took  a  course  of  study  equal  to  that 
of  the  men's  colleges  of  today.  At 
the  age  of  nineteen  she  left  school 


707 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


and  engaged  in  mission  work  at  Ab- 
bott Village  and  Factory  Settlement, 
a  short  distance  from  her  home.  It 
was  here  she  began  an  acquaintance 
with  the  lives  and  needs  of  working 
people,  which  resulted  in  books  such 
as  "Hedged  In"  and  "Jack,  the  Fish- 
erman." Her  first  story  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Youth's  Companion 
when  she  was  only  thirteen  years  old. 
In  1864  she  published  "A  Sacrifice 
Consumed,"  in  Harper's  Magazine, 
which  earned  her  right  to  the  title 
"author."  The  book  which  has  given 


her  greatest  fame,  "The  Gates  Ajar," 
was  begun  in  1862  and  was  published 
in  1868.  Nearly  one  hundred  thou- 
sand copies  were  sold  in  the  United 
States,  and  more  than  that  number  in 
Great  Britain.  It  was  also  translated 
into  a  number  of  foreign  languages. 
Probably  Mrs.  Ward  has  written 
more  books  worth  while  than  any 
other  woman  writer  of  her  time.  In 
1888  Miss  Phelps  was  married  to 
Herbert  D.  Ward,  and  has  co-oper- 
ated with  him  in  writing  several  ro- 
mances. 


REFORMERS. 


GEORGE  THORNDIKE  ANGELL. 

George  Thorndike  Angell  was  born 
at  Southbridge,  Massachusetts,  June 
5,  1823.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College  in  1846.  After  study 
at  the  Harvard  law  school  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1851.  For 
thirty-four  years  he  has  headed  the 
work  for  the  humane  treatment  of 
animals  and  helpless  human  beings. 
In  1868,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
two,  he  founded  the  Massachusetts 
society  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty 
to  animals.  He  has  served  as  its 
president  since  its  inception,  no  one 
being  better  fitted  to  fill  the  position. 
He  has  propagated  his  ideas  on  hu- 
manity to  animals  by  many  organiza- 
tions, and  forty-four  thousand  "bands 
of  mercy"  speak  for  his  efficient  and 
zealous  management.  As  an  editor 
and  publisher,  his  activity  has  been 
enormous,  for  in  one  year  his  socie- 
ties sent  out  117,000,000  pages  of  lit- 
erature. His  work  for  dumb  brutes 
is  so  well  known  that  it  has  over- 
shadowed those  other  forms  of  phi- 
lanthropy with  which  he  has  to  do, 
and  which  in  the  case  of  an  ordinary 
man  would  have  made  him  a  reputa- 
tion. The  work  of  the  Social  Science 


Association,  of  which  Mr.  Angell  is 
a  director,  is  of  a  varied  nature,  and 
ranges  from  the  prevention  of  crime 
to  the  detection  of  food  adulteration, 
or  from  the  betterment  of  tenement 
houses  to  obtaining  a  higher  standard 
of  citizenship. 

SUSAN  BROWNELL  ANTHONY. 

Susan  Brownell  Anthony  was  born 
at  Adams,  Massachusetts,  February 
15,  1820.  Her  father,  a  Quaker,  was 
a  cotton  manufacturer  and  gave  her 
a  liberal  education.  When  she  was 
seventeen  years  old  her  father  failed 
in  business  and  she  had  to  support 
herself  by  school  teaching,  which  pro- 
fession she  followed  for  thirteen 
years.  Aroused  at  the  injustice  of 
the  inequality  of  wages  paid  to  wo- 
men teachers,  she  made  a  public 
speech  on  the  subject  at  the  New 
York  Teachers'  Association,  which 
attracted  wide  attention.  She  con- 
tinued to  work  in  the  teachers'  asso- 
ciation for  equal  recognition  continu- 
ously and  enthusiastically.  In  1849 
she  began  to  speak  for  the  temper- 
ance cause,  but  soon  became  con- 
vinced that  women  had  no  power  to 
change  the  condition  of  things  with- 
out being  able  to  vote  at  the  polls, 


708 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


and  from  that  time  on  she  identified 
herself  with  the  suffrage  movement. 
She  has  written  a  great  many  tracts 
and  was  at  one  time  the  editor  of  a 
weekly  paper  called  the  Revolution. 
Her  work,  The  History  of  Woman's 
Suffrage,  which  she  prepared  in  con- 
junction with  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton 
and  Matilda  Joslyn  Gage,  attracted 
wide  attention. 

FREDERICK  ST.   GEORGE  DE   LAUTOUR 
BOOTH-TUCKER. 

Frederick  St.  George  de  Lautour 
Booth-Tucker  was  born  at  Monghyr, 
India,  March  21,  1853.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Cheltenham  college,  Eng- 
land, and,  after  passing  the  Indian 
civil  service  examination,  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  commanding  magis- 
trate in  the  Punjab.  He  resigned  in 
order  to  join  the  Salvation  army  in 
1881,  inaugurated  the  Salvation  Army 
work  in  India  in  1882,  and  had  charge 
of  the  work  of  the  army  there  until 
1891,  when  he  was  made  secretary  for 
the  international  work  of  the  organi- 
zation in  London.  Since  1896  he  has 
been  in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
army  in  the  United  States,  in  con- 
junction with  his  wife,  Emma  Moss 
Booth,  whom  he  married,  after  which 
he  adopted  the  name  of  Booth-Tuck- 
er. He  is  the  author  of  a  number 
of  religious  and  other  works  and  has 
considerable  ability  as  an  orator  and 
organizer.  Mr.  Booth-Tucker  has  a 
magnetic  personality,  and  with  the 
practical  side  of  his  nature  stands 
him  in  good  stead  in  connection  with 
his  chosen  walk  in  life. 

ANTHONY  COMSTOCK. 

Anthony  Comstock,  who  has  been 
described  as  the  most  honest  and  the 
best-hated  man  in  New  York  city, 
was  born  in  New  Canaan,  Connecti- 
cut, March  7,  1844.  He  received  his 
education  in  district  schools  and 
academy  and  later  at  the  High  School 


at  New  Britain,  Connecticut.  Early 
in  life  he  began  to  earn  his  own  live- 
lihood, and  in  order  to  do  so  follow- 
ed several  vocations  in  succession. 
His  brother  Samuel  was  killed  fight- 
ing for  the  Union  cause  at  Gettys- 
burg, and  Anthony,  volunteering  to 
fill  his  place  in  the  regiment,  enlisted 
in  the  Seventeenth  Volunteer  Con- 
necticut Infantry  and  saw  much  ser- 
vice during  the  war.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  in  July,  1865.  On  January 
25,  1871,  he  married  Margaret  Ham- 
ilton. In  1873  he  was  appointed  post- 
master inspector  in  New  York,  later 
became  prominent  in  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  affairs,  and 
finally  identified  himself  with  the 
New  York  society  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  vice.  Mr.  Comstock's  ser- 
vices in  connection  with  what  is  his 
life  work  are  too  well  known  to  be 
recapitulated.  Possessing  courage, 
moral  and  physical,  of  the  highest 
order  and  a  keen  sense  of  his  duties 
to  the  community  in  his  official  capac- 
ity, Mr.  Comstock  has  for  years  been 
a  terror  to  evil-doers,  especially 
those  who  pander  to  vicious  instincts. 
He  has  brought  nearly  3,000  criminals 
to  justice  and  has  destroyed  over  80 
tons  of  obscene  literature,  pictures, 
etc.  Altogether  he  is  a  notable  figure 
in  the  complex  life  of  New  York,  and 
the  making  of  bitter  enemies  has 
necessarily  followed  on  Mr.  Com- 
stock's career.  But  these,  many  and 
influential  as  they  are,  have  never 
successfully  attacked  his  motives  or 
his  integrity. 

WILBUR  FISKE  CRAFTS. 

The  Rev.  Wilbur  Fiske  Crafts  was 
born  at  Fryeburg,  Maine,  January  12, 
1850.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  A.  C. 
Crafts.  In  1869  the  future  author, 
lecturer  and  clergyman  graduated 
from  Wesleyan  University,  Connecti- 
cut, subsequently  taking  the  post- 
graduate course  in  Boston  Univer- 


709 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


sity.  On  leaving  college  he  became  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  holding  charges  for  several 
years  therein  and  laying  the  founda- 
tion for  the  reputation  which  now 
attaches  to  him.  Later,  however,  Mr. 
Crafts  decided  that  the  tenets  of  the 
Congregational  denomination  were 
more  to  his  liking,  and  accordingly 
accepted  a  call  to  a  Congregational 
church  in  Brooklyn.  Still  later  he 
became  a  Presbyterian  pastor  in  New 
York.  Resigning  from  the  ministry, 
he  was  made  superintendent  of  the 
International  Reform  Bureau,,  the  ob- 
ject of  which  is  to  secure  moral  legis- 
lation in  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada with  the  assistance  of  lectures, 
literature  and  personal  example  and 
influence.  He  is  the  author  of  many 
works,  the  majority  of  which  are  of  a 
religious  nature,  or  deal  with  social 
questions. 

ELBRIDGE  THOMAS  GERRY. 

Elbridge  Thomas  Gerry,  born  in 
New  York  city,  December  25,  1837, 
was  named  after  his  grandfather, 
who  was  one  of  the  vice-presidents 
of  the  United  States  and  a  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Mr. 
Gerry  was  educated  in  the  New  York 
public  schools,  and  graduated  from 
Columbia  college  in  1858.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1860.  He  acted 
as  vice-president,  until  1899,  of  the 
American  society  for  the  prevention 
of  cruelty  to  animals.  He  was  chair- 
man of  the  New  York  state  commis- 
sion on  capital  punishment  from  1886 
to  1888.  Since  1891  he  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  annual  convention  of  the 
New  York  societies  for  prevention  of 
cruelty.  He  is  trustee  of  the  general 
theological  seminary  of  the  Presby- 
terian-Episcopal church  and  also 
trustee  of  the  American  museum  of 
natural  history,  and  of  the  New  York 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  company.  Be- 
sides that,  he  is  a  member  and  direc- 


tor of  various  corporations  and  so- 
cieties. Since  1876  he  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  society  for  the 
prevention  of  cruelty  to  children, 
which  society  is  generally  known  as 
the  Gerry  Society.  He  has  one  of 
the  largest  private  law  libraries  in  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Gerry  is  one  of 
those  conscientious  citizens  whose 
work  for  the  public  good  has  been  as 
continuous  as  it  has  been  successful. 

WILLIAM  REUBEN  GEORGE. 

William  R.  George  was  born  at 
West  Dryden,  New  York,  June  4, 
1866.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  His  parents  came  to 
New  York  city  in  1880,  where  he 
later  engaged  in  business.  Becoming 
interested  in  poor  boys  and  girls,  he, 
during  the  seasons  of  1890  to  1894, 
took  two  hundred  of  them  to  the 
country  for  from  two  weeks  to  a 
month  to  spend  a  portion  of  their 
school  vacations  with  him.  Impressed 
with  the  large  number  of  children 
endeavoring  to  live  by  charity,  he 
conceived,  in  1894,  the  plan  of  re- 
quiring payment  in  labor  for  every 
favor  the  youngsters  received,  and,  in 
addition,  instituted  a  system  of  self- 
government.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  a  junior  republic,  which  was  put 
into  practical  operation  in  1895  and 
has  continued  successfully  ever  since. 
He  was  married  November  14,  1896, 
to  Esther  B.  George,  of  New  York. 
To  Mr.  George  belongs  the  credit  of 
inaugurating  a  novel  and  praise- 
worthy method  of  fostering  good 
citizenship. 

CHARLES  HENRY  PARKHURST. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Henry  Park- 
hurst  was  born  in  Framingham,  Mas- 
sachusetts, April  17,  1842.  His  father 
worked  on  a  farm  in  summer  and 
taught  school  in  winter.  Until  six- 
teen years  of  age  Charles  was  a  pupil 
of  the  Clinton  (Matt.)  grammar 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


school.  The  two  years  following  he 
acted  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  to 
prepare  for  college  at  Lancaster  acad- 
emy. At  the  end  of  the  course  there, 
he  went  to  Amherst,  from  whence  he 
graduated  in  1866.  The  following 
year  he  became  principal  of  the  Am- 
herst high  school,  remaining  there 
until  1870,  when  he  visited  Germany. 
On  his  return  he  became  professor 
of  Greek  and  Latin  in  Williston  semi- 
nary, holding  that  position  for  two 
years,  during  which  period  he  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Bodman,  a  pupil  of  his 
while  a  teacher  at  Amherst.  Accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  he  next  made  a 
trip  to  Europe  to  study  at  Halle, 
Leipzig,  and  Bonn.  Again  in>  this 
country  he  received  a  call  to  the  pas- 
torate of  the  First  Congregational 
church  in  Lenox,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  soon  gained  a  reputation  as 
an  original  and  forceful  pulpit  orator. 
On  March  g,  1880,  he  became  pastor 
of  the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian 
church,  New  York  city,  the  call  being 
the  outcome  of  his  work  at  Lenox. 
He  immediately  began  to  take  a  lively 
interest  in  city  and  national  politics, 
and  one  of  his  sermons  attracted  the 
attention  of  Dr.  Howard  Crosby, 
president  of  the  society  for  the  pre- 
vention of  crime,  in  which  society  Dr. 
Parkhurst  was  invited  to  become  a 
director.  A  few  months  later  Dr. 
Crosby  died  and  Dr.  Parkhurst  was 
chosen  as  his  successor.  Dr.  Park- 
hurst has  done  more  for  reform  in 
New  York  city  than  any  other  single 
individual.  His  courageous  course  in 
connection  with  the  Lexow  investiga- 
tion of  certain  phases  of  life  in  New 
York  will  not  be  readily  forgotten. 

ELIZABETH  CADY  STANTON. 

That  which  is  popularly,  if  some- 
what  vaguely,   characterized   as   the 


"Cause  of  women"  in  this  country,  is 
closely  identified  with  the  name  of 
Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton.  Many  years 
of  her  life  were  spent  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  her  sex  politically  and 
legally,  and  that  her  work  has  not 
been  fruitless  is  proven  by  the  fact 
that  as  long  ago  as  1840  she  advo- 
cated the  passage  of  the  Married 
Woman's  Property  bill,  which  be- 
came a  law  in  1848.  That  measure 
alone  is  sufficient  to  obtain  for  Mrs. 
Stanton  the  gratitude  of  her  sex.  She 
was  born  in  Johnstown,  New  York, 
November  12,  1815,  being  the  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  C.  Cady,  judge  of  the 
New  York  State  Supreme  Court.  She 
obtained  her  education  at  the  Johns- 
town academy  and  the  Emma  Willard 
seminary,  Troy,  New  York,  graduat- 
ing from  the  latter  institution  in  1832. 
Eight  years  later  she  married  Henry 
Brewster  Stanton,  a  state  senator, 
anti-slavery  orator  and  lawyer.  From 
the  first  Mrs.  Stanton  identified  her- 
self with  "Woman's  Rights,"  and  she 
it  was  who  called  the  first  woman's 
rights  convention,  the  meeting  taking 
place  at  Seneca  Falls,  New  York,  in 
July,  1848.  Continually  working  on 
the  lines  indicated,  she  has  for  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century  annually  ad- 
dressed congress  in  favor  of  embody- 
ing woman  suffrage  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States.  In  1861 
she  was  president  of  the  Woman's 
Loyal  League,  and  through  the  me- 
dium of  her  personality  made  it  a 
power  in  the  land.  From  1865  to 
1893  she  held  the  office  of  president 
of  the  Woman  Suffrage  Associa- 
tion. In  1868  she  was  a  candidate  for 
congress.  Her  eightieth  birthday, 
which  took  place  in  1895,  was  cele- 
brated under  the  auspices  of  the  Na- 
tional Council  of  Women,  three  hun- 
dred delegates  attending  the  conven- 
tion. 


711 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


PHILANTHROPISTS. 


MRS.  PHOEBE  APPERSIN  HEARST. 

Mrs.  Phoebe  Appersin  Hearst  was 
born  in  1840.  After  an  education  in 
the  public  schools  she  became  a 
teacher  in  them  until  1861,  when  she 
married  the  late  United  States  Sen- 
ator George  F.  Hearst  from  Califor- 
nia, who  died,  in  1891,  leaving  her  and 
her  son,  William  Randolph  Hearst,  a 
fortune  of  many  millions.  W.  R. 
Hearst  is  the  well-known  newspaper 
owner  and  publisher.  Mrs.  Hearst 
has  established  kindergarten  classes 
and  the  manual  training  school  in 
San  Francisco,  kindergartens  and  the 
kindergarten  training  school  in 
Washington,  District  of  Columbia; 
has  made  donations  to  the  American 
university  at  Washington,  gave  $200,- 
ooo  to  build  a  national  cathedral 
school  for  girls,  has  established  work- 
ing girls'  clubs  in  San  Francisco,  is 
the  patron  of  a  school  for  mining 
engineers  at  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, and,  as  a  memorial  to  her  hus- 
band, has  built  and  endowed  libraries 
in  a  number  of  mining  towns  in  the 
west.  In  connection  with  the  plans 
for  the  projected  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, she  has  also  agreed  to  erect 
two  buildings  to  cost  between  three 
and  four  million  of  dollars. 

DANIEL  KIMBALL   PEARSONS. 

Daniel  K.  Pearsons  was  born  at 
Bedford,  Vermont,  April  14,  1820,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
Entered  college  at  Woodstock,  Ver- 
mont, and  was  graduated  as  a  physi- 
cian, practicing  in  Chicopee,  Massa- 
chusetts, until  1857.  He  removed  to 
Ogle  county,  Illinois,,  and  became  a 
farmer,  1857  to  1860,  and  in  the  latter 
year  began  the  real  estate  business  in 
Chicago,  which  he  continued  until 
1887,  when  he  retired  from  business 
but  remained  a  director  of  the  Chi- 


cago City  Railway  Company  and  oth- 
er corporations.  He  has  made  hand- 
some donations  to  various  colleges 
and  charities  there,  including  $280,000 
to  the  Chicago  theological  seminary 
and  $200,000  to  Beloit  college.  He 
has  also  contributed  to  the  treasuries 
of  several  other  educational  establish- 
ments. Mr.  Pearsons  seems  to  be  a 
pupil  of  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  in 
some  respects,  inasmuch  as  he  has  a 
profound  belief  in  the  wisdom  of  dis- 
tributing his  money  for  praiseworthy 
purposes  during  his  lifetime. 

MRS.  HENRY  CODMAN  POTTER. 

The  dominant  quality  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  wife  of  Bishop  Henry 
Codman  Potter,  of  the  diocese  of 
New  York,  is  undoubtedly  charity. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  L. 
Scriven,  and  she  was  born  in  1849 
in  New  York,  coming  of  good  Ameri- 
can stock.  She  has  been  married 
twice,  her  first  husband  being  Alfred 
Corning  Clark,  who  in  his  lifetime 
controlled  the  Singer  sewing  machine 
interests  and  who  also  had  extensive 
real  estate  holdings  in  the  metropolis. 
When  Mr.  Clark  died  he  left  an  es- 
tate of  an  estimated  value  of  about 
$30,000,000,  the  bulk  of  which,  after  a 
liberal  allowance  made  to  his  four 
children,  went  to  his  widow.  All  her 
life  Mrs.  Potter  has  given  largely  to 
charity  and  philanthropic  enterprises. 
She  has  done  excellent  work  in  New 
York  in  connection  with  improve- 
ments in  tenement  houses,  those  that 
she  owns  being  ideal  dwellings  in  re- 
gard to  construction,  light,  ventilation 
and  sanitary  arrangements.  At  Coop- 
erstown,  New  York,  which  is  her 
home,  Mrs.  Potter  has  spent  large 
sums  of  money  in  beautifying  the  vil- 
lage. She  gives  annually  a  dinner  to 
a  thousand  poor  persons,  and  has  a 


712 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


long  list  of  private  pensioners.  Her 
marriage  to  Bishop  Potter  took  place 
on  October  i,  1902,  at  Cooperstown. 

MRS.  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of 
President  Roosevelt  was  Edith  Ker- 
mit  Carow,  and  she,  like  her  husband, 
comes  of  one  of  the  most  distinguish- 
ed of  the  older  families  of  New  York. 
Born  in  the  metropolis  in  the  old 
Carow  mansion,  Fourteenth  street 
and  Union  square,  her  father  was 
Charles  Carow,  and  her  grandfather 
General  Tyler  Carow,  of  Norwich, 
Connecticut.  She  was  educated  at  a 
school  kept  by  a  Miss  Comstock  on 
West  Fortieth  street.  She  was  mar- 
ried to  the  President  on  December  2, 
1886,  at  St.  George's  church,  Hanover 
square,  London,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  by  Canon  Cammadge,  who 
is  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Roosevelt.  For- 
tune has  never  been  more  kind  to  Mr. 
Roosevelt  than  when  she  gave  him 
the  amiable  and  beautiful  woman 
who  bears  his  name.  The  Roosevelt 
children  seem  to  have  inherited  many 
of  the  attractive  qualities  of  their 
mother. 

MRS.  RUSSELL  SAGE. 

Mrs.  Russell  Sage  was  born  at 
Syracuse,  New  York,  in  1828.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Joseph 
Slocum.  Educated  at  first  in  private 
schools  of  Syracuse,  it  had  been  in- 
tended that  she  should  go  to  college 
later,  but  financial  disaster  altered  the 
plans  of  the  family.  After  working 
at  home  to  help  her  mother  for  some 
time,  she  started  for  Mount  Holyoke 
college,  intending  to  do  housework 
in  that  institution  in  order  to  pay  for 
her  board.  On  her  way  thither  she 
was  taken  sick  in  Troy,  and  when 
she  recovered  she,  at  the  request  of 
her  uncle,  entered  the  Troy  female 
seminary.  In  1869  she  became  the 
second  wife  of  Russell  Sage,  the 


financier.  Mrs.  Sage's  charities  are 
large ;  she  has  built  a  dormitory  cost- 
ing $120,000  in  the  Emma  Willard 
seminary  and  gives  annually  large 
sums  of  money  to  various  hospitals 
and  other  praiseworthy  institutions. 

MRS.  LELAND  STANFORD. 

Mrs.  Jane  Lathrop  Stanford  was 
born  at  Albany,  New  York,  August 
25,  1825.  Was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  there,  and  in  1848  mar- 
ried Leland  Stanford.  In  1855  she 
went  with  her  husband  to  California. 
Mr.  Stanford  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  state,  and 
in  1861  was  elected  its  governor.  A 
son  was  born,  who  died  when  six- 
teen years  of  age  in  Florence,  Italy. 
Mr.  Stanford  founded  the  university 
which  bears  his  name,  in  memory  of 
his  boy.  Since  her  husband's  de- 
mise Mrs.  Stanford  has  given  further 
endowments  to  the  institution,  the 
total  amount  of  which  is  said  to  be 
several  million  dollars.  She  has  also 
given  liberally  to  other  educational 
institutions. 

ANSON  PHELPS  STOKES,  SR. 

Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  Sr.,  financier 
and  public-spirited  citizen,  was  born 
in  New  York,  February  22,  1838,  be- 
ing the  son  of  James  and  Caroline 
(Phelps)  Stokes.  He  was  educated 
in  private  schools  and  in  1855  mar- 
ried Helen  Louise,  daughter  of  Isaac 
Newton  Phelps.  Becoming  connected 
with  the  firm  of  Phelps,  Dodge  & 
Co.,  merchants,  he  afterward  became 
a  partner  in  the  banking  firm  of 
Phelps,  Stokes  &  Co.,  of  New  York. 
He  is  director  and  trustee  of  a  num- 
ber of  philanthropic  institutions  and 
hospitals,  owns  interests  in  varied 
corporations  and  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  several  clubs  whose  objects  it 
is  to  promote  municipal  and  legisla- 
tive reform.  Mr.  Stokes  has  written 
two  books  on  financial  questions. 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


DIVINES. 


LYMAN  ABBOTT. 

Dr.  Lyman  Abbott  is  an  illustration 
of  the  fact  that  a  young  man  who  is 
gifted  with  more  than  ordinary  in- 
tellect and  even  genius  need  not  be 
discouraged,  even  if  his  first  inten- 
tions regarding  his  life  work  come  to 
naught  by  force  of  circumstances  or 
unlooked-for  developments  within 
himself.  He  was  born  December  18, 
1835,  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  be- 
ing the  son  of  Jacob  and  Harriet  Ab- 
bott. Graduating  from  the  College 
of  the  City  of  New  York  in  1853,  he 
took  a  course  at  Harvard,  after 
which,  and  in  accordance  with  his 
prearranged  plans,  he  took  a  law 
course,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
began  to  practice.  But  his  literary 
instincts  and  religious  convictions  re- 
sulted in  his  finally  abandoning  the 
law.  After  a  good  deal  of  writing 
,for  a  number  of  publications  and 
more  theological  studies:,  he  was 
finally  ordained  a  Congregational 
minister  in  1860,  being  made  pastor 
of  a  church  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana, 
in  the  same  year.  Leaving  Indiana, 
he  came  to  New  York  and  took 
charge  of  the  New  England  Congre- 
gational Church  in  that  city.  In  1869 
he  resigned  the  pastorate  in  order  to 
devote  himself  to  literature.  He 
edited  the  Literary  Record  Depart- 
ment of  Harper's  Magazine  and  was 
associate  editor  with  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  on  the  Christian  Union.  He 
succeeded  Mr.  Beecher  as  pastor  of 
Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn,  in  May, 
1888,  but  resigned  in  1898  and  is  once 
more  prominent  in  religious  literary 
circles.  On  October  14,  1857,  he  mar- 
ried Abby  F.  Hamlin,  daughter  of 
Hannibal  Hamlin,  of  Boston.  He  is 
the  author  of  a  great  many  works  of 
a  religious  nature  and  of  others 
which  deal  with  social  problems.  At 


present  he  is  editor  of  The  Outlook, 
of  New  York  city. 

THEODORE  LEDYARD  CUYLER, 

Theodore  Ledyard  Cuyler,  the 
clergyman  whose  striking  sermons 
have  made  him  famous  the  world 
over,  was  born  at  Aurora,  New  York, 
January  iq,  1822.  He  was  educated 
at  Manheim,  New  Jersey,  and  Prince- 
ton college,  from  v'lich  he  graduated 
in  1841.  After  spending  a  brief  period 
in  traveling  in  Europe,  he  entered  the 
theological  seminary  at  Princeton, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1846,  and 
was  ordained  by  the  presbytery  in 
1848.  His  first  charge  was  at  a  small 
church  near  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  remained  for  six 
months.  He  was  then  called  to  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Burlington, 
New  Jersey.  In  1849  he  became  pas- 
tor of  the  Third  Presbyterian  church 
of  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  and  in  1853 
he  was  invited  to  the  Market  Street 
Dutch  Reformed  Church,  New  York 
city.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in 
the  great  revival  of  1858,  and  in  1860 
he  was  called  to  the  Lafayette  Ave- 
nue Presbyterian  church,  Brooklyn. 
This  was  a  young  church  and  was  not 
in  a  very  prosperous  condition,  but 
the  new  pastor  infused  life  into  it 
from  the  first,  and,  in  i86i:,  his  con- 
gregation commenced  the  building  of 
a  new  church  at  the  corner  of  Lafay- 
ette avenue  and  South  Oxford  street. 
This  building  was  completed  in 
March,  1862,  and  cost  $60,000.  In 
1893  Dr.  Cuyler  withdrew  from  active 
charge  of  the  church  and  determined 
to  devote  the  remainder  of  his  years 
to  the  ministry  at  large.  Dr.  Cuyler 
was  married,  in  1853,  to  Annie  E. 
Mathist,  of  Newark,  Ohio,  and  has 
two  children.  His  writings  and 
printed  sermons  have  been  widely 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


circulated.  Among  them  are: 
Thought  Hives,  Stray  Arrows,  The 
Empty  Crib,  The  Cedar  Christian. 
One  of  his  most  famous  tracts,  Some- 
body's Son,  had  a  circulation  of  over 
one  hundred  thousand  copies.  Many 
of  his  articles  and  tracts  have  been 
translated  into  several  languages,  and 
his  contributions  to  the  religious 
press  have  been  more  numerous  than 
those  of  any  living  writer. 

EDWARD  EVERETT  HALE. 

Edward  Everett  Hale  was  born  in 
Boston,  April  3,  1822,  and  after  pass- 
ing through  the  public  schools  entered 
the  Boston  Latin  school.  He  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  in  1839,  and 
for  two  years  acted  as  usher  in  the 
Latin  school,  studying  theology  in 
the  meantime.  On  October  13,  1852, 
he  married,  at  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
Emily  Baldwin  Perkins.  He  has  been 
a  prominent  promoter  of  Chautauqua 
circles  and  was  the  founder  of  the 
"Lend-a-Hand"  clubs.  He  has  prob- 
ably traveled  as  much  and  delivered 
more  lectures  than  any  other  man  in 
this  country.  The  fact  that  the  cata- 
logue of  Harvard  university  lists 
more  than  one  hundred  and  thirty 
titles  of  books  and  pamphlets  on 
varied  subjects  of  which  he  is  the 
author  shows  how  prolific  has  been 
his  pen.  Fiction,  drama,  narrative, 
poetry,  theology,  philosophy,  politics — 
all  are  treated  by  him  in  a  masterly 
way.  He  is  never  dull  or  common- 
place, but  invariably  suggestive  and 
practical.  One  of  his  masterpieces 
is  A  Man  Without  a  Country,  which 
was  written  in  war  time.  This  story 
alone  would  have  given  him  lasting 
fame.  Yet  it  is  not  as  an  author,  a 
great  scholar,  a  great  teacher,  a  great 
orator,  or  a  great  statesman  that  Dr. 
Hale  will  be  remembered,  but,  as 
William  Dean  Howells  has  said,  his 
came  will  go  down  in  history  as  "a 
great  American  citizen." 


BENJAMIN  FAY  MILLS. 

Benjamin  Fay  Mills  was  born  at 
Rahway,  New  Jersey,,  June  4,  1857. 
His  father  was  a  clergyman.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  at 
Phillips  academy,,  Andover,  he  gradu- 
ated from  Lake  Forest  university, 
Illinois,  in  1879.  In  the  same  year  he 
married  Mary  Russell,  and  in  the 
year  following  he  was  ordained  pas- 
tor of  the  Congregational  church  at 
Rutland,  Vermont.  From  1886  to 
1897  he  acted  in  an  evangelistic  capac- 
ity and  conducted  meetings  through- 
out the  country.  In  1897  he  withdrew 
from  the  orthodox  church  and  in- 
augurated independent  religious 
movements  in  the  Boston  music  hall 
and  Hollis  street  theatre.  Since  1889 
he  has  been  the  pastor  of  the  First 
Unitarian  church,  Oakland,  Califor- 
nia. He  is  eloquent,  magnetic  and 
convincing  and  has  the  gift  of  play- 
ing on  the  emotions  of  an  audience 
in  a  manner  possessed  by  few  speak- 
ers within  or  without  the  church. 

HENRY  CODMAN  POTTER. 

There  have  been  a  great  many 
clergymen  in  the  Potter  family,  and 
doubtless  the  Right  Reverend  Henry 
Codman  Potter,  bishop  of  the  dio- 
cese of  New  York,  had  an  inclina- 
tion for  the  pulpit  which  was  an  an- 
cestral inheritance.  He  is  the  son  of 
Bishop  Alonzo  Potter,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  born  at  Schenectady, 
New  York,  May  25,  1835.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Philadelphia  Acad- 
emy of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church,  and  later  at  the  theological 
seminary  in  Virginia.  Graduating 
therefrom  in  1857,  he  was  at  once 
made  a  deacon  and  one  year  later  was 
ordained  to  the  priesthood.  Until 
1859  he  had  charge  of  Christ  P.  E. 
church,  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  St. 
John's,  P.  E.  church,  Troy,  New 
York;  for  seven  years  he  was  rector 


Encyclopedic  Biographies. 


of  that  parish.  He  then  became  an 
assistant  of  Trinity  P.  E.  church, 
Boston,  and  in  May,  1868,  was  made 
rector  of  Grace  P.  E.  church,  New 
York.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  iden- 
tified with  the  affairs  of  that  famous  JOHN  HEYL  VINCENT. 


a  number  of  books,  the  most  interest- 
ing of  which  is,  without  doubt,  The 
Story  of  My  Life.  In  1884  he  was 
made  missionary  bishop  for  Africa. 


church.  In  1883  he  was  elected  an 
assistant  to  his  uncle,  Bishop  Hora- 
tio Potter,  who  presided  over  the  dio- 
cese of  New  York.  A  short  time  after 
entering  on  his  duties  as  such,  his 
uncle  withdrew  from  active  work  and 
the  care  of  the  diocese  fell  upon  the 
younger  man.  On  January  2,  1887, 
Bishop  Horatio  Potter  died  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  nephew.  His  dio- 
cese is  the  largest  in  point  of  popu- 
lation in  the  United  States.  Eloquent, 
earnest  and  devoted  to  his  life  work, 
Bishop  Potter  commands  the  love 
and  respect  of  all  of  those  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR. 

William  Taylor  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia May  2,  1821.  Reared  on  a  farm, 
he  learned  the  tanning  business.  He 
entered  the  Methodist  ministry  in 
1842.  Going  to  California  with  the 
"Forty-niners"  as  a  missionary,  he 
remained  there  until  1856.  He  next 
spent  a  number  of  years  traveling  in 
Canada,  New  England  and  Europe. 
After  conducting  missionary  services 
in  Australia,  New  Zealand  and  Tas- 
mania, he  visited  South  Africa  and 
converted  many  Kaffirs  to  Christian- 
ity. From  1872  to  1876  he  organized 
a  number  of  churches  in  India  and  in 
South  America.  He  also  established 
mission  stations  on  the  Congo  and 
elsewhere  in  Africa.  He  has  written 


John  Heyl  Vincent,  bishop  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
chancellor  of  the  Chautauqua  system, 
was  born  in  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama, 
February  23,  1832.  He  was  educated 
at  Lewisburg  and  Milton,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  as  a  mere  boy  gave  evi- 
dence of  the  religious  trend  of  his 
nature.  When  only  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  was  a  preacher,  and  many  of 
his  then  sermons  are  said  to  have 
been  both  eloquent  and  convincing. 
After  studying  in  the  Wesleyan  In- 
stitute of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  he 
joined  the  New  Jersey  Conference  in 
1853,  was  ordained  deacon  and  four 
years  later  was  made  pastor.  He  had 
several  charges  in  Illinois  between 
1857  and  1865,  and  during  the  next 
fourteen  years  brought  into  being  a 
number  of  Sunday  school  publica- 
tions. He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Chautauqua  Assembly  and  was 
the  organizer  of  the  Chautauqua  Lit- 
erary and  Scientific  Circle,  of  which 
he  has  held  office  of  chancellor  since 
its  inception.  In  1900  he  was  made 
resident  bishop  in  charge  of  the  Euro- 
pean work  of  the  church  with  which 
he  was  associated.  He  is  preacher  to 
Harvard,  Yale,  Cornell,  Wellesley 
and  other  colleges.  As  an  author  of 
helpful  and  interesting  religious 
works,  Dr.  Vincent  is  well  known  to 
all  students  of  American  literature. 


CANADIANS. 


WILLIAM  PETERSON. 

One  of  the  influential  educators  in 
Canada  is  Dr.  William  Peterson, 
President  of  that  powerful  and  pro- 


gressive educational  institution,  Mc- 
Gill  University.  Dr.  Peterson's  pol- 
icy in  the  conduct  of  the  university  is 
to  maintain  a  harmonious  relationship 


7l6 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


between  classical  education  and  the 
scientific  training  which  is  now  so 
greatly  in  demand.  That  the  uni- 
versity is  kept  well  abreast  of  the 
times  in  scientific  teaching  and  equip- 
ment is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  a 
recent  addition  to  the  institution  has 
been  a  school  for  instruction  in  all 
branches  of  railroading.  Dr.  Peter- 
son keenly  realizes  that  the  future  de- 
velopment of  Canada  will  depend  in 
a  very  considerable  measure  upon  the 
extension  of  the  Dominion's  railway 
system — that  in  the  railroad  business 
there  will,  perhaps,  be  more  and 
greater  opportunities  for  young  Cana- 
dians than  in  any  other  one  branch 
of  industry.  Another  proof  of  the 
scientific  thoroughness  at  McGill  is 
the  high  standing  held  by  the  Uni- 
versity's medical  and  engineering 
schools,  but  Dr.  Peterson  holds  fast 
to  the  belief  that  no  education  is  com- 
plete without  a  familiarity  with  the 
classics.  He  is  himself  an  accom- 
plished classical  scholar. 

After  spending  his  boyhood  in  the 
city  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  where 
he  was  born  in  1856,  he  became  a 
student  at  the  Edinburgh  University, 
and  there  distinguished  himself.  He 
won  the  Greek  travelling  fellowship, 
and  continued  his  classical  study  at 
the  University  of  Gottingen.  Return- 
ing to  Scotland,  he  was  elected  to  the 
Mackenzie  scholarship  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Edinburgh  and  went  to  Ox- 
ford University,  where  he  added  to 
his  scholastic  laurels.  He  became  as- 
sistant Professor  of  Humanity  in 
Edinburgh  University,  and  in  1882 
was  appointed  Professor  of  Classical 
and  Ancient  History  and  head  of  the 
faculty  in  University  College,  Dun- 
dee. Here  he  remained  until  1885, 
when  he  was  chosen  to  succeed  Sir 
J.  W.  Dawson  as  Principal  of  McGill 
University,  Montreal.  He  has  re- 
ceived honorary  degrees  from  St. 
Andrews  and  Princeton  universities, 


and  is  regarded  not  only  as  a  scholar 
of  unusual  attainments,  but  as  a  man 
possessing  in  marked  degree  the  ex- 
ecutive ability  necessary  to  success- 
fully conduct  the  affairs  of  a  great 
university. 

GEORGE  A.  Cox. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  finan- 
cier in  Canada  is  Senator  George  A. 
Cox  of  Toronto,  who  is  regarded  as 
the  Dominion's  closest  parallel,  in 
financial  activity,  to  J.  Pierpont  Mor- 
gan of  New  York.  His  interests  are 
extensive  and  widely  varied.  He  is 
the  president  of  the  Canadian  Life 
Assurance  Company,  president  of  two 
fire  insurance  companies,  president  of 
the  Central  Canadian  Loan  and  Sav- 
ings Company,  and  is  one  of  the  rul- 
ing spirits  in  the  great  project  to  build 
the  Grand  Trunk  Pacific  Railway 
across  the  continent  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  He  has  a  very  considerable 
amount  of  capital  invested  in  the 
United  States. 

Senator  Cox  was  born  sixty-four 
years  ago  in  the  village  of  Colborne." 
His  father  was  a  shoemaker  in  hum- 
ble circumstances.  The  ability  of 
Senatpr  Cox,  as  a  boy,  attracted  the 
attention  of  a  neighbor,  who  edu- 
cated him.  When  he  became  a  young 
man  he  went  to  the  town  of  Peter- 
borpiand  embarked  in  the  photographic 
business.  He  afterwards  became  an 
express  agent,  and  also  occupied  him- 
self with  soliciting  insurance  for  the 
Canadian  Life  Assurance  Company. 
He  engaged  in  politics,  and  for  seven 
years  was  mayor  of  Peterboro. 
When  the  Midland  Railway  became 
involved  in  financial  difficulties,  he 
was  one  of  the  Canadians  asked  to  re- 
organize the  road.  He  at  once  became 
the  dominating  factor  in  this  work 
and  in  1878  was  made  president  of  the 
Midland  line.  The  vigor  and  ability 
which  he  brought  to  his  task  soon 
put  the  decrepit  railway  company  on 


717 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


its  feet  again.  It  afterward  became 
the  Midland  Division  of  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway.  Besides  his  insur- 
ance and  railway  affiliations  Senator 
Cox  is  largely  interested  in  Canadian 
banks  and  lands. 

Senator  Cox  attributes  much  of  his 
success  to  the  fact  that  he  is  a  good 
judge  of  human  nature.  He  has  long 
made  a  point  of  surrounding  himself 
with  clever  young  men  who  are  able 
to  develop  and  zealously  put  into 
operation  the  hints  which  he  freely 
gives  them.  Senator  Cox's  person- 
ality is  of  a  kind  which  inspires  en- 
thusiasm on  the  part  of  those  who 
are  working  with  and  for  him.  He  is 
genial  and  never  stands  on  formality 
in  his  contact  with  the  young  men 
whom  he  has  around  him.  In  this 
respect  he  more  closely  resembles 
Andrew  Carnegie  than  any  other  cap- 
tain of  industry.  Senator  Cox  lives 
in  modest  style  in  Toronto.  He  is 
quiet  in  his  tastes,  and  greatly  dis- 
likes anything  suggestive  of  display 
or  self-aggrandizement.  He  is  a  close 
personal  friend  of  most  of  the  polit- 
ical leaders  in  the  Canadian  Liberal 
Party,  and  of  many  of  the  financial 
powers  in  the  United  States.  The 
Earl  of  Aberdeen  appointed  him  to 
the  Senate  of  Canada  in  1896.  He  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  has  long  interested  him- 
self in  the  welfare  of  Victoria  Uni- 
versity in  Toronto. 

TIMOTHY  EATON. 

The  most  important  retail  merchant 
in  Canada  is  Timothy  Eaton.  He  be- 
gan his  career  as  an  apprentice  in  a 
small  shop  in  a  village  in  Ireland,  and 
now  has  an  establishment  which  em- 
ploys the  services  of  six  thousand 
persons,  and  which  is  by  far  the  larg- 
est and  best  equipped  retail  store  in 
the  Dominion. 

It  was  in  a  shop  in  the  town  of 
Port  Gleone,  in  the  north  of  Ireland, 


that  Mr.  Eaton  obtained  his  first  ex- 
perience as  a  storekeeper.  Here  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  five  years, 
receiving  no  pay  until  the  end  of  his 
term  of  service,  when  he  was  given 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds.  To 
convey  an  idea  of  the  long  hours 
that  he  used  to  devote  to  the  services 
of  his  employer  in  Ireland,  Mr.  Eaton 
likes  to  tell  about  how  he  used  to 
watch  the  donkey  carts  passing 
through  the  village  streets  to  the 
market-town  of  Ballymena  at  five 
o'clock  every  morning,  when  he  was 
taking  down  the  shutters.  While  he 
had  very  little  time  in  those  days  to 
devote  to  anything  but  his  regular 
work,  he  was  fond  of  books,  and 
read  Chambers's  Journal,  an  unusual 
literary  selection  for  a  lad  of  his  edu- 
cation and  position.  In  this  publica- 
tion he  read  one  day  an  article  on  the 
then  almost  unknown  process  of 
manufacturing  artificial  gas.  This  so 
interested  him  that  with  the  help  of 
a  companion  he  made  with  his  own 
hands  a  small  gas  plant,  and  by  means 
of  it  succeeded  in  lighting  the  store. 
Before  that  there  had  been  no  gas 
light  in  that  section  of  Ireland.  The 
innovation  of  the  young  apprentice 
aroused  great  interest  and  curiosity 
on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  coun- 
tryside. They  flocked  to  the  shop  to 
view  the  miracle  of  the  new  light. 
This  proved  to  be  a  valuable  adver- 
tisement for  the  establishment,  and  it 
lifted  young  Eaton  into  a  position  of 
prominence  in  the  community. 

He  felt,  however,  that  there  were 
no  chances  in  Ireland  for  the  degree 
of  success  of  which  he  dreamed.  The 
potato  famine  and  other  misfortunes 
had  laid  the  country  prostrate.  Every- 
body was  talking  about  the  golden 
prospects  in  America,  and  great  num- 
bers were  emigrating  to  the  promised 
land.  One  of  Timothy  Eaton's  elder 
brothers  decided  to  join  the  exodus, 
and  Timothy  himself  lost  no  time 


718 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


in  making  up  his  mind  to  go  with 
him. 

After  crossing  the  Atlantic  they 
made  their  way  to  the  town  of  St. 
Marys,  in  Ontario,  and  there  started 
a  very  small  store,  being  glad  to  ac- 
cept produce  in  payment  for  their 
goods.  Another  brother  came  to  St. 
Marys.  One  of  these  remained  there 
permanently,  while  Timothy  Eaton, 
not  satisfied  with  the  possibilities  in 
St.  Marys  of  the  mercantile  expan- 
sion which  he  had  in  mind,  went  to 
Toronto,  and  started  a  modest  store 
on  one  of  the  lower  streets.  This 
was  in  1869.  In  1883  he  had  a  larger 
establismhent.  In  1887  he  had  added 
to  his  general  store  equipment  a  small 
factory  for  the  purpose  of  eliminating 
the  charges  of  middlemen  and  thus 
conserving  the  interests  of  his  cus- 
tomers by  reduced  prices.  The  fac- 
tory was  an  unqualified  success.  By 
means  of  it,  and  through  Mr.  Eaton's 
general  methods,  the  establishment 
steadily  grew  until,  at  the  present 
time,  he  has  a  store  which  from  a 
comparative  point  of  view  may  be 
regarded,  perhaps,  as  the  most  suc- 
cessful in  the  world.  Mr.  Eaton's 
pay  roll  includes  nearly  six  thousand 
names,  while  the  largest  retail  store 
on  earth,  which  is  located  in  Chicago, 
where  the  population  is  many  times 
greater  than  that  which  can  be 
reached  by  Mr.  Eaton,  employs  only 
about  twenty-five  hundred  more  per- 
sons. It  will  be  seen  that  this  Chic- 
ago establishment  is  only  one-half 
larger  than  the  Eaton  store.  Indeed, 
the  factories  of  the  latter  are  larger 
than  those  of  any  establishment 
which  deals  directly  with  retail  buy- 
ers. 

The  two  leading  elements  in  Mr. 
Eaton's  remarkable  success  have  been 
his  store-system,  regarded  by  leading 
retail  merchants  as  a  model,  and  his 
constant  endeavor  to  save  money  for 
his  customers.  It  is  to  this  end  that 


he  conducts  his  business  on  a  cash 
basis,  and  that  he  has  established  his 
factories.  He  is  a  very  firm  believer 
in  bringing  goods  direct  from  the 
maker  to  the  consumer.  In  a  single 
department  in  his  manufacturing  sec- 
tion, for  instance,  there  are  over  a 
thousand  sewing  machines  which  pro- 
duce nearly  seven  thousand  garments 
a  day  for  sale  exclusively  in  the  store. 
The  money  which  Mr.  Eaton  has  been 
able  to  save  by  this  policy  of  produc- 
ing his  own  goods  is  directly  applied 
to  the  reduction  of  prices.  The  fact 
that  his  patrons  feel  that  they  are  ob- 
taining maximum  value  at  minimum 
cost  is  the  chief  reason  of  the  store's 
great  and  constantly  growing  trade. 

Another  very  prominent  factor  in 
his  success  has  been  his  strict  rule 
of  allowing  absolutely  no  misrepre- 
sentation. He  very  strongly  feels 
that  truth  is  a  most  important  element 
in  any  permanent  success  in  store- 
keeping  and  in  life  in  general.  In 
addition  to  Mr.  Eaton's  constant  vigi- 
lance in  the  interest  of  his  patrons, 
he  has  always  in  mind  the  well-being 
of  his  employees.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  movement  for  shorter 
hours,  believing  that  opportunities  for 
legitimate  rest  and  recreation  give 
those  who  are  in  his  service  an  added 
zeal  and  energy  which  materially  in- 
crease the  satisfaction  of  buyers  and 
has  a  direct  beneficial  effect  upon  the 
profits  and  progress  of  the  store. 

While  Mr.  Eaton  is  proud  of  his 
success,  he  by  no  means  takes  all  the 
credit  to  himself.  It  is  his  idea  that 
the  quality  which  has  chiefly  enabled 
him  to  build  up  this  great  commercial 
unit  lies  in  his  ability  to  pick  out  the 
right  man  for  the  right  place.  Each 
employee  is  held  to  a  personal  respon- 
sibility, and  is  given  to  understand 
that  he  or  she  is  considered  a  possi- 
bility for  the  higher  positions  in  the 
establishment.  Every  clerk  under- 
stands that  promotion  is  to  be  ob- 


719 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


tained  not  by  favoritism,  but  on  the 
strength  alone  of  conscientious  and 
intelligent  effort. 

A  celebrated  department  store  pro- 
prietor in  New  York  City  not  long 
ago  remarked  to  a  Canadian  mer- 
chant who  informed  him  that  he  had 
come  to  the  New  York  establishment 
to  obtain  hints  on  the  best  system  of 
store  management,  "  Why,  it  is  not 
at  all  necessary  for  you  to  come  down 
here  for  this  information.  You  have 
a  man  in  Canada,  Timothy  Eaton, 
who  can  tell  you  a  good  deal  more 
about  this  than  most  of  us  can.  In 
fact,  we  always  keep  our  eyes  on  him 
with  a  view  of  obtaining  fresh  sug- 
gestions as  to  methods." 

SIR  THOMAS  G.  SHAUGHNESSY. 

One  of  the  most  successful  railroad 
men  of  this  continent  is  Sir  Thomas 
G.  Shaughnessy,  president  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railroad.  By  means 
of  a  particularly  virile  personality  and 
a  remarkable  capacity  for  hard  work, 
Sir  Thomas  has  raised  himself  to  his 
present  high  position  from  the  bottom 
of  the  ladder.  He  owes  absolutely 
nothing  to  the  extraneous  circum- 
stances of  birth  or  fortune.  His  edu- 
cation has  been  chiefly  obtained  in  the 
school  of  experience ;  yet  Sir  Thomas 
adds  to  his  conspicuous  knowledge  of 
man  and  affairs  a  culture  that  would 
do  credit  to  a  university  graduate. 

Though  Sir  Thomas  is  always  as- 
sociated in  the  public  mind  with  Can- 
ada for  the  reason  that  his  most  im- 
portant work  has  been  done  in  the 
Dominion,  he  was  born  in  1853  in 
Milwaukee.  His  school  days  ended 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  when  he  ob- 
tained a  place  in  the  office  of  the 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  as  a 
clerk  in  the  purchasing  department. 
During  a  period  of  ten  years  the 
young  man  slowly  rose  in  this  de- 
partment until,  on  the  strength  of 
his  ability  and  alertness,  he  was  pro- 


moted to  the  place  of  a  general  store- 
keeper for  the  railroad.  Mr.  Shaugh- 
nessy took  hold  with  an  acceleration 
of  the  powers  which  had  brought  him 
his  steady  promotion.  Work  in  the 
office  began  to  move  more  swiftly 
than  ever  before.  Each  man  was  held 
to  a  very  strict  accountability  in  the 
performance  of  all  his  duties,  and  yet 
with  a  new  spirit  of  contentment  and 
zeal  for  the  reason  that  Mr.  Shaugh- 
nessy was  very  considerate  to  those 
under  his  direction.  He  was  quick 
to  criticise,  but  was  equally  quick  to 
praise.  No  man  who  had  ever  held 
a  position  of  authority  in  the  com- 
pany was  more  popular  with  his  sub- 
ordinates. 

But  Mr.  Shaughnessy's  abilities 
were  too  great  for  his  position.  Wil- 
liam C.  Van  Home,  who  had  recently 
become  general  manager  of  the  young 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  had  known 
Mr.  Shaughnessy  in  Milwaukee,  and 
asked  him  to  take  a  place  of  purchas- 
ing agent  in  the  new  company.  This 
was  in  1882.  He  became  assistant  to 
the  general  manager  in  1884,  and  the 
next  year  was  promoted  to  the  office 
of  assistant  to  the  president.  He  be- 
came a  full-fledged  vice-president  in 
1891.  Mr.  Shaughnessy  was  the 
right-hand  man  of  the  president  of 
the  road,  Sir  William  C.  Van  Home, 
and  when  the  latter  resigned  the 
presidency  in  1899  it  was  obvious 
that  the  man  in  all  respects  best 
equipped  to  succeed  him  in  the  very 
important  position  of  executive  head 
of  the  longest  railroad  in  the  world 
was  Mr.  Shaughnessy.  The  latter 
was  knighted  by  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
then  Duke  of  York,  in  Ottawa,  Can- 
ada, 1901. 

The  work  of  Sir  Thomas  as  presi- 
dent has  been  notable.  He  has  had 
a  careful  regard  not  only  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  line,  but  also  of  Canada. 
During  his  incumbency  of  the  presi- 
dency the  Canadian  Pacific  system 


72O 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


has  been  greatly  extended.  It  now 
employs  over  thirty-five  thousand 
persons  and  buys  products  of  the  la- 
bor of  fifty  thousand  more.  Within 
the  last  two  years  it  has  paid  Cana- 
dians over  one  hundred  millions. 
The  progressive  management  of  the 
line  under  the  direction  of  Sir 
Thomas  Shaughnessy  has  greatly 
stimulated  the  prosperity  of  the  Do- 
minion, and  on  this  account  the  Cana- 
dians feel  that  Sir  Thomas  has  been 
one  of  the  Dominion's  most  valuable 
citizens. 

WILLIAM  S.  FIELDING. 

The  Hon.  William  Stevens  Field- 
ing, considered  one  of  Canada's  ablest 
men,  stands  high  in  the  administra- 
tion of  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier,  holding 
the  important  place  of  Minister  of 
Finance.  He  attained  distinction  by 
the  path  of  newspaper  work.  Mr. 
Fielding  was  born  in  Halifax  of  Eng- 
lish parentage  in  1848,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  entered  the  business  office 
of  the  Morning  Chronicle.  This  was 
perhaps  the  most  influential  news- 
paper of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  and 
counted  among  its  contributors  nume- 
rous men  of  intellect  and  influence. 
It  was  from  them  that  young  Fielding 
imbibed  his  political  views  and  be- 
came imbued  with  the  spirit  of  broad 
patriotism  which  has  since  distin- 
guished him. 

Soon  after  he  formed  his  zonnec- 
tion  with  the  Chronicle  he  was  pro- 
moted to  a  place  as  reporter,  and  was 
most  zealous  and  thorough  in  this 
sphere.  Before  he  was  twenty  he 
had  commenced  to  write  editorials. 
For  two  decades  Mr.  Fielding  re- 
mained with  the  Chronicle,  rising  by 
degrees  to  the  place  of  editor,  and  at 
the  same  time  taking  an  active  part 
in  the  political  campaigns  in  Halifax. 
He  was  elected  in  the  elections  of 
1882  to  a  seat  in  the  Nova  Scotia 
Legislature,  and  rose  so  rapidly  that 


within  a  few  months  he  was  offered 
the  premiership  of  the  Province.  He 
declined  the  honor  on  this  occasion, 
but  soon  afterward  organized  a  gov- 
ernment at  the  request  of  some  of 
the  other  leaders,  and  took  upon  him- 
self the  duties  of  provincial  secretary, 
which  also  involved  the  work  of 
financial  administrator.  His  govern- 
ment was  so  effective  that  for  years 
it  controlled  the  affairs  of  the  Pro- 
vince. When  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier  be- 
came premier  of  the  Dominion  in 
1896  he  appointed  Mr.  Fielding  Min- 
ister of  Finance,  and  the  latter  was 
returned  by  the  constituency  of  Shel- 
bourne  and  Queens  to  the  Dominion 
House  of  Commons.  It  was  Mr. 
Fielding  who  introduced  the  measure 
for  the  preferential  tariff  which  has 
been  so  conspicuous  a  feature  of  the 
Laurier  administration.  Mr.  Fielding 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  strongest 
members  of  the  cabinet. 

CHARLES  FITZPATRICK. 

The  Hon.  Charles  Fitzpatrick,  Min- 
ister of  Justice  in  the  Canadian  Gov- 
ernment, and  one  of  the  ablest  of  the 
Dominion's  lawyers  and  political  lead- 
ers, was  born  of  Irish  parentage  in 
the  Province  of  Quebec  in  1851.  His 
father  was  a  lumber  merchant.  He 
was  graduated  from  Laval  University 
in  Quebec,  studied  law  and  began 
practice  in  the  city  of  Quebec,  where 
he  rapidly  rose  to  prominence.  He 
had  acquired  such  a  reputation  at  the 
bar  when  he  was  thirty-four  years 
old,  that  the  half-breeds  and  others 
who  rallied  to  the  support  of  Louis 
Riel  when  the  latter  was  imprisoned 
and  about  to  be  tried  for  his  life, 
retained  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  as  the  man 
best  fitted  to  defend  their  leader.  In 
this  case  he  opposed  a  number  of  the 
ablest  lawyers  in  Canada,  and  while 
his  client,  Riel,  was  condemned  to 
death,  Mr.  Fitzpatrick's  eloquence  and 
command  of  legal  principles  attracted 


721 


Encyclopedic  Biographies,  or 


wide  attention.  He  has  since  ap- 
peared in  many  of  the  most  important 
cases  that  have  been  tried  within  the 
Dominion. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick's  entry  into  public 
life  was  made  in  1891,  when  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Commons  of  the  Province  of  Quebec, 
representing  his  native  county.  He 
held  this  seat  until  1896,  when  he  was 
a  successful  candidate  for  the  Domin- 
ion House  of  Commons.  His  gen- 
eral ability  and  his  attainments  as  a 
lawyer  had  by  this  time  become  so 
conspicuous  that  when  in  the  same 
year  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier  organized 
his  government  he  appointed  Mr. 
Fitzpatrick  to  the  position  of  Soli- 
citor General.  In  1900  he  was  re- 
elected,  by  a  large  majority,  a  Liberal 
member  from  Quebec,  in  a  constit- 
uency that  was  largely  Conservative. 
In  1902,  on  the  elevation  of  the  Hon. 
David  Mills  to  the  Supreme  Court 
bench,  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  was  called  to 
his  present  post  of  Minister  of  Jus- 
tice. 

The  political  success  of  Mr.  Fitz- 
patrick is  made  the  more  notable  by 
the  fact  that  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 
voters  of  Quebec  are  French  Cana- 
dians, while  he  himself  is  an  Irish- 
man. 

In  addition  to  his  powers  as  an  ora- 
tor, his  grasp  of  legal  principles  and 
his  strong  personal  magnetism,  one  of 
his  predominant  traits  is  energy.  It 
has  been  said  of  him  that  in  the  days 
of  his  youth  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
rising  so  early  in  the  morning  that 
he  had  his  cases  carefully  analyzed 
and  his  plan  of  action  formulated  be- 
fore other  lawyers  were  out  of  bed. 
At  present  his  most  absorbing  in- 
terest is  the  project  for  the  Grand 
Trunk  Pacific  Railway  line  across  the 
continent.  It  was  he  who  drew  up 
the  contract  for  the  undertaking,  and 
he  has  been  its  chief  defender,  in  its 
legal  aspects,  against  the  many  at- 


tacks to  which  it  has  been  subjected 
by  the  opponents  of  the  government 
of  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  attributes  his  zest 
for  work  to  the  fact  that  he  has  al- 
ways been  an  outdoor  man.  During 
his  early  years  his  reputation  as  an 
athlete  was  as  great  in  Quebec  as  was 
his  fame  as  a  lawyer.  He  married 
a  daughter  of  the  late  Lieutenant 
Carors,  and  thus  became  intimately 
identified  with  one  of  the  oldest  of 
the  French-Canadian  families,  which 
dates  back  to  the  early  days  in  Can- 
adian history. 

There  is  no  more  enthusiastic  be- 
liever in  the  future  of  Canada  than 
Mr.  Fitzpatrick.  In  1903  he  made  a 
tour  of  the  Northwest,  and  has  ex- 
pressed himself  as  astonished  at  its 
marvelous  resources.  It  is  his  opinion 
that  the  projected  Grand  Trunk  Pa- 
cific line,  adding  another  railway  to 
the  transportation  facilities  of  this 
territory,  will  develop  it  into  one  of 
the  richest  and  most  productive  re- 
gions, not  only  in  grain,  but  in  mine- 
rals, the  world  has  ever  known. 

GEORGE  WILLIAM  Ross. 

The  Hon.  George  William  Ross, 
Premier  of  the  Province  of  Ontario, 
was  born  near  London,  Ontario,  in 
1841.  His  father  was  a  Scotchman, 
who,  after  migrating  to  Canada,  be- 
came a  prosperous  farmer.  Mr.  Ross 
began  his  active  life  as  a  country 
school  teacher.  The  government  of 
the  Province  of  Ontario  established 
in  1871  a  system  of  school  inspectors, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  one  of  these 
places.  In  the  general  election  of  the 
following  year,  Mr.  Ross  was  chosen 
to  represent  the  Conservative  party  in 
the  western  division  of  his  native 
county,  and  was  elected  to  the  Domi- 
nion House  of  Commons.  It  was 
particularly  his  ability  as  an  orator 
that  brought  him  this  honor.  He  was 
a  member  at  the  time  of  the  Sons  of 


722 


The  Romance  of  Reality. 


Temperance,  and  it  was  at  the  meet- 
ings of  this  society  that  he  seized  his 
first  opportunities  to  develop  and  dis- 
play his  gifts  as  a  public  speaker.  He 
has  said  since  that  this  experience  in 
talking  on  his  feet  was  invaluable  to 
him,  and  he  advises  all  young  men 
who  desire  to  acquire  the  gift  of  pub- 
lic speaking  to  join  a  debating  society 
or  other  organization  whose  members 
are  willing  to  listen  to  budding  elo- 
quence. 

Mr.  Ross  was  made  Minister  of  Edu- 
cation for  the  Province  of  Ontario 
in  1883,  and  in  1887  succeeded  in  hav- 
ing passed  a  law  for  the  federation 
of  the  denominational  colleges  of 
Toronto  into  a  single  unit,  The  Uni- 
versity of  Toronto.  He  inaugurated 
other  educational  reforms,  and  mate- 
rially raised  the  standard  of  public 
education  in  the  Province.  Mr.  Ross 
relinquished  his  work  in  this  special 
field  in  1900  to  become  Premier  of 
Ontario.  He  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  movements  in  the 
cause  of  temperance,  and  holds  hon- 
orary degrees  in  five  Canadian  un- 
versities.  One  of  his  distinguishing 
qualities  is  versatility.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  astronomy,  and  has  a  marked 
literary  bent,  having  written  biogra- 
phical sketches  and  some  poetry. 

LORD  MOUNT  STEPHEN. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  Lord 
Mount  Stephen  has  not  resided  in 
Canada  for  a  number  of  years,  he 
must  be  included  in  any  group  of  im- 
portant workers  in  the  Dominion. 
He  played  a  leading  part  in  the  up- 
building of  the  Canadian  common- 
wealth. The  vital  importance  of  his 
work  for  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way cannot  be  overlooked.  Lord 
Mount  Stephen  and  Lord  Strathcona 
were  the  two  great  personalities 
which  carried  the  project  of  the  trans- 
continental line  through  a  dark  period 
of  financial  storm  and  stress.  Lord 


Mount  Stephen  reorganized  or  built 
several  other  railroads  in  Canada,  and 
was  very  closely  identified  with  many 
of  the  Dominion's  most  important 
commercial  movements. 

Like  so  many  other  men  who  have 
achieved  remarkable  success  in  Can- 
ada, Lord  Mount  Stephen  is  a  Scotch- 
man, having  been  born  in  that  country 
in  1829.  In  his  childhood  he  was  a 
herdboy  on  the  Highlands,  and  served 
as  an  apprentice  in  Aberdeen.  He 
afterward  obtained  employment  in 
London,  and  in  1850  migrated  to  Can- 
ada, where  his  uncle,  William  Stephen, 
was  engaged  in  the  woolen  business. 
The  young  man  was  taken  into  part- 
nership, and  upon  his  uncle's  death 
bought  his  interest  in  the  firm,  which 
steadily  grew  in  importance  in  the 
manufacture  of  woolen  goods.  Lord 
Mount  Stephen's  financial  standing  at 
this  time  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  became  a  director  in  Canada's 
leading  banking  institution,  the  Bank 
of  Montreal,  of  which  he  was  after- 
ward vice-president.  It  was  owing  to 
this  financial  eminence,  as  well  as  to 
his  great  ability,  that  he  was  able  to 
build  a  magnificent  structure  of  suc- 
cess out  of  what  appeared  at  that 
time  to  be  the  wreck  of  the  project 
for  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad.  In 
recognition  of  his  services  for  her  do- 
main across  the  ocean,  Queen  Vic- 
toria knighted  him  in  1886,  and  a  few 
years  afterwards  raised  him  to  the 
peerage  with  the  title  of  Lord  Mount 
Stephen,  a  title  suggested  by  the  peak 
in  the  Rockies  called  Mount  Stephen, 
which  itself  had  been  named  after  the 
able  Scotchman.  Lord  Mount  Stephen 
retired  from  the  presidency  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  in  1888, 
and  has  spent  most  of  his  time  since 
then  in  England.  He  has,  however, 
retained  some  of  his  interests  in  Can- 
ada, and  has  remembered  numerous 
hospitals  and  other  institutions  with 
generous  contributions. 


723 


INDEX. 


Page 

Abbey,  Edwin  Austin 311 

Abbott,   Lyman 714 

Acheson,  E.  G 620 

Adams,   Maude 681 

Ade,  George 693 

Alden,  Cynthia  May  Westover. .  683 

Alden,  Henry  Mills 660 

Aldrich,  Nelson  Wilmarth 641 

Aldrich,  Thomas  Bailey 697 

Allen,  James  Lane 702 

Allen,  T.  S 691 

Allen,  Viola 682 

Allison,  William  Boyd 617 

Andrews,  Elisha  Benjamin 656 

Angell,  George  Thorndike 708 

Anthony,    Susan   Brownell 708 

Armour,  Philip  D 511 

Astor,  William  Waldorf 638 

Atherton,  Gertrude  Franklin....  704 

Baer,  George  F 629 

Baldwin,  Evelyn  Briggs 652 

Bangs,  John  Kendrick 693 

Barr,  Amelia  Edith 705 

Barrymore,   Ethel 682 

Barton,   Clara 684 

Bell,  Alexander  Graham 633 

Belmont,  August 629 

Beveridge,  Albert  J 668 

Bispham,  David  Scull 674 

Black,  Frank  Swett 644 

Blair,  Andrew  G 470 

Bok,  Edward  William 660 

Bonsai,    Stephen , 695 

Booth-Tucker,  F.  St.  George  DeL.  709 

Borden,   Robert  Laird 447 

Brush,  Charles  Francis 633 

Bryan,  William  Jennings 641 

Buckley,  James  Monroe 661 

Burnett,  Frances  Hodgson 705 

Burroughs,   John 402 

Bush,  Charles  G 691 

Butler,  Nicholas  Murray 656 

Cable,  George  Washington 702 

Calve,   Emma 674 

Carman,   Bliss 698 

Carnegie,  Andrew 51 

Carter,  Leslie    (Mrs.) 682 

Cassatt,  Alexander  Johnston 630 


Page 

Chaffee,  Adna  Romanzo 648 

Chisholm,  Hugh 624 

Choate,  Joseph  H 196 

Churchill,    Winston 703 

Clark,  Champ 668 

Clark,  Francis  Edward 684 

Clemens,   Samuel  Langhorn 693 

Cleveland,  Grover 617 

Clews,  Henry 638 

Clowry,  Robert  C 144 

Cockran,  William  Bourke (508 

Collyer,    Robert 441 

Comstock,    Anthony 709 

Conwell.   Russell   H 426 

Cook,  Frederick  Albert 652 

Cooper,  Edward 636 

Coudert,  Frederick  Ren6 644 

Cox,   George   A 717 

Crafts,  Wilbur  Fiske 709 

Craigie,  Pearl  M.  Theresa 705 

Cramp,   Charles   Henry 621 

Crane,  William  H 677 

Crawford,  Francis  Marion 703 

Cuyler,  Theodore  Ledyard 714 

Dalrymple,   Louis 691 

Damrosch,  Walter  Johannes 670 

Daniels,  George  Henry 630 

Daniels,  John   Warwick 669 

Davenport,    Homer 334 

Davis,  Richard  Harding 695 

DeKoven,  Henry  L.  Reginald. .. .  671 

DeLussan,    Zelie 674 

Depew,  Chauncey  M 207 

De  Reszkg,   Edouard 674 

De  Reszkfi,  Jean 675 

De  Thulstrup,  Thure 690 

De  Vinne,  Theodore  Lowe 625 

Dewey,  George 648 

Dickinson,  Mary  Lowe 685 

Dill,  James  Brooks 645 

Dixon,  Thomas,  Jr 685 

Dodge,  William  de  Leftwich 690 

Dolliver,  Jonathan  P.   (Senator).  219 

Doubleday,    Frank   Nelson 663 

Douglas,   William  Louis 625 

Drew,  John 678 

Drummond,  Sir  George  A 702 

Dumont,    Santos 634 

Dunne,  Finley  Peter 694 

Duse,  Eleanora 682 


724 


Index — continued. 


Page 

Eatnes,  Emma 675 

Eastman,  Charles 626 

Eaton,   Timothy 718 

Edison,  Thomas  Alva 17 

Eliot,  Charles  William 657 

Evans,  Robley  Dunglison 649 

Faunce,  William  H.  P 657 

Field,    Marshall 80 

Fielding,  William  S 721 

Fitzpatrick,  Charles 721 

Flint,  Charles  Ranlett 621 

Folk,  Joseph  Wingate 643 

Ford,    Simeon 694 

Freeman,     Mary     E.      (Wilkins- 

Freeman )    706 

Frye,  William  Pierce 618 

Fuller,   Melville  Weston 645 

Funk,   Isaac  Kauffman 664 

Funston,  Fred 649 

Gage,  Lyman  Judson 131 

Garland,  Hamlin 696 

George,  William  Reuben 710 

Gerry,  Elbridge  Thomas 710 

Gibson,   Charles  Dana 342 

Gilder,  Richard  Watson 661 

Gillette,  William  Hooker 678 

Gilmer,   Elizabeth   Meriwether. . .  694 

Gompers,    Samuel 164 

Goodwin,  Nathaniel  C 679 

Gorman,  Arthur  Pue 642 

Gould,  George  Jay 631 

Gould,  Helen  Miller 413 

Grau,   Maurice 671 

Green,  Hetty  (Mrs.) 639 

Greene,  Anna  Katherine 706 

Griffin,  Sydney  B 692 

Griggs,  John   William 646 

Griscom,  Clement  Acton 631 

Gunsaulus,  Frank  W 432 

Harkett,  James  Keteltas 679 

Haclley,  Arthur  Twining 658 

Hale,  Edward  Everett 715 

Hanna,  Marcus  Alonzo 642 

Harned,    Virginia 683 

Harris,   William   Torrey 659 

Harrison,  Burton    (Mrs.) 305 

Harrison,  Carter  Henry,  Jr 643 

Harrison,   Constance  Gary 707 

Harvey,  George  B.  McClellan...  661 

Hay,   John 618 

Hays,   Charles  Melville 622 

Hearst,  Phnebe  Appersin   (Mrs.).  712 

Hearst,  William  Randolph 664 


Hedin,  Sven  Anders 

Herbert,  Victor 

Herreshoff,  John  B 

Hewitt,  Peter  Cooper 

Higgins,  Edward  Everett... 

Hill,  James  J 

Hoar,  George  Frisbie ! 

Hobart,  George  V 

Hobson,  Richmond  Pearson. 

Holland,  John  P 

Holmes,  E.  Burton 

Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell 

Howells,  William  Dean 

Hungerford,   Herbert 


528, 


672 
622 
634 
665 
631 
619 
694 
650 
634 
653 
646 
283 
686 


Ingalls,  Melville  Ezra 632 

Irving,  Sir  Henry  Brodribb 680 

Irwin,  May 682 

Jackson,   Leonora 672 

Jefferson,    Joseph 680 

Jerome,  William  Travers 646 

Jewett,  Sarah  Orne 707 

Johnson,  Tom  L 234 

Jones,   Samuel 498 

Keller,  Helen 391 

Kipling,   Rudyard 703 

Klopsch,    Louis 665 

Kneisel,  Franz 672 

Landon,  Melvin  DeLancey 695 

Landor,  A.  H.  Savage 654 

Langtry,  Lillie    (Mrs.) 683 

Laurier,   Sir  Wilfrid 687 

LeGallienne,  Richard 698 

Lipton,  Sir  Thomas 108 

Lodge,   Henry   Cabot 619 

Lorimer,  George  Howard 662 

Loudon,    James 479 

McClure,    Samuel   Sidney 666 

McCracken,  Henry  Mitchell 659 

McKenna,  Joseph 647 

Mackay,  Robert 698 

Major,    Charles 704 

Mansfield,   Richard 379 

Marconi,  William 635 

Markham,    Edwin 263 

Marlowe,   Julia 683 

Maxim,  Hiram  Stevens 35 

Ment6,    Charles 690 

Miles,  Nelson  A.   (Gen.) 188 

Miller,  Cincinnatus  Heine    (Joa- 

quin)    699 

Mills,  Benjamin  Fay 715 


725 


Index — continued. 


Mills,  Darius  Ogden i 

Mitchell,  John '. 686 

Morgan,  John  Pierpont 639 

Mount   Stephen,   Lord 723 

Munsey,  Frank  Andrew 666 

Nansen,   Fridtjof 654 

Nixon,  Lewis 623 

Nordica,   Lillian 541,  676 

Ogden,  Robert  Curtis 636 

Olney,   Richard 620 

Opper,  Frederick  Burr 353 

Osier,  Dr.  William 700 

Outcault,  R.  F 692 

Page,  Thomas  Nelson 704 

Parent,   S.  N 460 

Parker,  Alton  Brooks 647 

Parkhurst,   Charles  Henry 710 

Patterson,  John  H 624 

Patti,  Adelina 676 

Pearsons,  Daniel  Kimball 712 

Peary,    Robert   Edwin 655 

Peterson,    William 716 

Phillips,  David  G. 696 

Pingree,  Hazen  S 71 

Platfcj  Thomas  Collyer 225 

Pope,  Albert  August 626 

Post,  C.  W 627 

Potter,  Henry  Codman   (Mrs.)..  712 
Potter,  Henry  Codman  ( Rev. ) . . .  715 

Powell,    Maud 673 

Pulitzer,    Joseph 667 

Reid,   Whitelaw 662 

Remington,   Frederic 327 

Riley,  James  Whitcomb 252 

Roberts,  Chas.  George  Douglas. .  696 

Rockefeller,  John  Davison 640 

Roosevelt,   Theodore 173 

Roosevelt,  Theodore  (Mrs.) 713 

Root,    Elihu 620 

Ross,  George  William 722 

Ruckstuhl,  F.  Wellington 358 

Sage,  Russell 125 

Sage,  Russell  (Mrs.) 713 

Schley,  Winfield  Scott 650 

Schultze,  Carl  E 692 

Schurman,  Jacob  Gould 243 


Schurz,    Carl 

Sembrich,  Marcella  Stengel 

Seton,  Ernest  (Thompson-Seton) 

Shafter,  William  Rufus 

Shaughnessy,  Sir  Thomas  G.... 

Shaw,  Albert 

Shrady,  Henry  Merwin 

Siegel,  Henry 

Smith,  Goldwin 

Sothern,  Edward  H 

Sousa,  John  Philip 

Stanford,   Leland    (Mrs.) 

Stanley,  Henry  Morton 

Stanton,  Elizabeth  Cady 

Stead,  William  Thomas' 

Stephens,  Alice  Barber 

Stokes,   Anson   Phelps 

Strathcona,  Lord 

Strauss,    Nathan 


Taylor,    William 

Thomas,    Theodore 

Thompson-Seton,  Ernest.  . . 

Thompson,  Vance 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius 

Van  Dyke,  Henry 

Van  Home,  Sir  William  C. 

Vincent,  John  Heyl 

Vreeland,  Herbert  H 


Walker,  John  Brisben 

Wallace,   Lew    ( Gen. ) 

Wanamaker,  John 

Ward,  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps. 

Watterson,   Henry 

Wellman,  Walter 

Westinghouse,    George 

Wheeler,  John  Wilson 

Wheeler,   Joseph 

White,   Stewart  Edward 

Wilcox,  Ella  Wheeler , 

Wilder,  Marshall   P 

Wilkins-Freeman,  M.  Eleanor.  , 

Wilson,  Woodrow 

Wister,    Owen 

Woolworth,  Frank  W , 


Yerkes,   Charles  Tyson. 
Zimmerman,  Eugene. . . . 


677 
687 
651 
720 
663 
366 
637 
454 
681 
384 
713 
655 
711 
696 
321 
713 
688 
420 

716 
673 

687 
696 
138 
700 
485 
716 
152 

667 
296 
92 
707 
663 
655 
635 
628 
651 
697 
272 
371 
700 
659 
697 
637 

640 
693 


726 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 


"  LITTLE  VISITS  "  is  not  merely  a  story-book  or  a  collection  of  biographies 
and  autobiographies.  The  life  stories  which  it  contain.,  are  intensely  inter- 
esting, many  of  them  even  dramatic.  The  autobiographies — that  is,  the  life 
stories  of  eminent  men  and  women  told  by  themselves — are  unique;  no  such 
collection  is  elsewhere  in  existence.  It  is  not,  however,  merely  a  book  to  be 
read  once  for  the  stories  and  cast  aside. 

"  LITTLE  VISITS  "  is  a  collection  of  IDEAS,  each  stamped  with  the  mint 
mark  of  a  great  personality.  It  contains  symposiums  by  fifty-six  men  and 
women — who  by  common  consent  are  considered  to  have  achieved  success — 
on  the  elements  and  methods  of  a  successful  career.  To  make  this  wealth  of 
ideas  easily  and  quickly  available  as  an  aid  to  those  of  all  ages  who  aspire 
to  achieve  something  beyond  the  ordinary  in  life,  we  have  prepared  this 
Topical  Index.  It  constitutes  a  syllabus  for  study  of  the  great  problems  of 
human  life  and  destiny. 

Early  advantages,  luck,  friends,  influence,  environment  and  heredity — 
defects  in  which  are  adduced  so  often  to  justify  failure— receive  little  atten- 
tion. The  fact  that  opportunity  exists  within  the  man  himself ;  the  possibility 
of  self-culture  by  reading  and  home  study;  the  importance  of  choosing  the 
right  career;  the  methods  and  the  qualities  which  should  be  practised  and 
cultivated ;  and  the  ideals  which  should  be  sought  for — these  are  the  perennial 
seed  thoughts  which  should  be  planted  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  our  own 
and  coming  generations,  and  they  constitute  the  contents  of  the  present 
volumes. 

The  teachings  of  "  LITTLE  VISITS  "  are  many-sided.  Light  is  thrown  upon 
each  problem  from  every  angle.  Many  points  of  view  are  represented  by  the 
various  speakers.  The  words  of  each,  weighted  by  the  vast  achieyements  and 
well-known  reputation  of  all,  cannot  fail  to  sink  deeply  into  the  mind  of  every 
reader.  Like  begets  like.  The  ideas  of  great  men  are  essentially  great  ideas, 
and  in  turn  they  will  beget  greatness  in  the  lives  of  all  who  adopt  and  follow 
them.  t 

The  attention  of  parents  and  teachers,  and  of  the  ambitious  youth  of  both 
sexes,  is  directed  to  the  usefulness  of  this  Topical  Index  (and  also  of  the 
Biographical  Index  which  precedes  it)  in  preparation  for  the  solemn  respon- 
sibilities of  guiding  aright  the  lives  which  are  entrusted  to  their  keeping  and 
for  self-guidance.  The  material  here  indexed  for  convenient  reference  is 
absolutely  invaluable  for  the  preparation  of  homilies,  sermons,  addresses  and 
informal  talks  to  the  young,  or  indeed  to  any  audience.  The  spicy  and  pithy 
anecdotes  and  incidents  in  the  lives  of  eminent  persons,  each  authenticated 
by  the  fact  that  they  are  given  in  the  speaker's  own  language,  are  exceedingly 
valuable  for  purposes  of  illustration.  The  book  is  especially  recommended 
as  a  source  of  material  in  the  preparation  of  compositions,  themes  and  essays, 
and  also  for  its  cultural  value,  as  supplementary  reading  for  pupils  in  our 
common  and  high  schools. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


TOPICAL   INDEX  * 


Page 

Ability,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Accommodating,       see      Success 

Qualities. 
Achievements : 

Acme  Sucker  Rod,  Jones 498 

American  Federation  of  Labor, 

Gompers 168 

Appliances  for  oil  production, 

Jones  503 

Automatic  gun,  Maxim 43 

Battle-ships,  Maxim 47 

"  Ben  Hur,"  Wallace 303 

Blue  shadows,  Remington 331 

•  Books,  Burroughs 412 

"  Broncho  Buster,"  Remington.  331 

Business  king,  Armour 523 

Busts,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Canadian    Pacific    R.    R.,    Van 

Home  490 

Employees  over  ten  thousand, 

Lipton 113 

Flying  machines,  Maxim 47 

First  iron  bridge  across  Ohio, 

Carnegie  63 

Gas  machines,  Maxim 42 

Guns,  Maxim 47 

Homestead  Steel  Works,  Car- 
negie       64 

Inventions,   six   hundred,  Edi- 
son       30 

Laws,  Gompers 169 

Mayoralty  of  Detroit,  Pingrcc.    75 
Metropolitan     Street     Railway 

System,  Vreeland 163 

Minneapolis  Tribune,  Conwell.  428 

Mr.  Dinkelspiel,  Op  per 353 

My  life,  Burroughs 41 1 

Operas  and  Marches,  Sousa...  386 

Partnership,  Field 85 

Poems,   Wilcox 274 

Poems,  Markham 270 

Political  honors,  Depew 215 

"  Puck,"   Opper 357 

Rapid-fire  gun,  Maxim 36 


Page 
Achievements — continued : 

Scholarship,  Schurman 248 

Smokeless  powder,  Maxim....     46 

Statue,  Remington. 331 

Statues,   Ruckstuhl 364 

Statue,   Ruckstuhl 360 

Statues,  Shrady 369 

Steam  motors,  Maxim 43 

Steel  works,  Carnegie 63 

Stores,  Lipton 112 

Submarine    cable    device,    Edi- 
son       24 

"  Suburban  Resident,"  Opper. .  357 
Telegraphic  recorder,  Edison. .     23 

"  The  Fair  God,"  Wallace 302 

Titles,  Maxim 36 

U.  S.  Express  Co.,  Plait 225 

U.  S.  Express  Co.,  Plait 230 

Vanderbilt     system,    head     of, 

Depew 213 

Victories,   Miles 189 

Acme  Sucker  Rod.,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

Actors,   biographies   of,   see   Ca- 
reers. 
Actresses,     biographies     of,     see 

Careers. 

Adaptability,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 
Advantage: 

Early,  Choate 199 

Good  advice  and  personal  pop- 
ularity, Choate 199 

Money,     opportunity,     friends, 

Choate 198 

Ambition,  see  Success  Qualities. 
America,  opportunity  in,  see  Op- 
portunity. 
America,  women  singers  in,  see 

Opportunity. 
American   Federation   of   Labor, 

see  Achievements. 
American  stock,  see  Heredity. 
Amusement,  see  Careers. 


*  For  Biographical  Index  see  page  724. 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Anecdotes: 

A  Little  Story,  B  or  den 453 

A  Father's  Warning,  Wallace..  299 

American  Marshall,  Wilder 377 

Armour    and    the    Panic,    Ar- 
mour    526 

Borrowing    a    Postage    Stamp, 

Jones  502 

Borrowing  Five  Cents,  Lipton.   no 
Broken  "  Holt,"  Burroughs. . . .  407 
Burroughs    and    Gould,    Bur- 
roughs  406 

Captured     by     Mosby's     Men, 

Pingree 73 

Carnegie  and  the  Sleeping  Car, 

Carnegie  60 

Chances  for  Young  Men,  Dol- 

liver 222 

Chartered  Train,  Sousa 389 

Chinese  Medal,  Maxim 48 

Colonel     Anderson's     Library, 

Carnegie  53 

Confidence  Man,  Maxim 41 

Congressman's  Fame,  Dolliver.  221 

Dangerous  Crossing,  Blair 478 

De  Mores  Incident,  Roosevelt..   185 

Dog's  Tail,  Maxim 38 

Dowe  Scheme,  Maxim 49 

Dutchman's  Oath,  Wilder 376 

Elected     to     the     Presidency, 

Vreeland   160 

Emersonian  Essays,  Burroughs  409 

First  Patent,  Edison 25 

First      Speech      in     Congress, 

Johnson   240 

First  Trip  West,  Platt 229 

Founding  of  Armour  Institute, 

Armour   521 

Funny  Little  Man,  Wilder 371 

How  He  Became  Deaf,  Edison  20 
How  He  Learned  Telegraphy, 

Edison    21 

How    He   Joined    the    Marine 

Band,  Sousa 385 

"I'll  be  President,"  Vreeland..  156 
Important  Mission,  Vreeland..  158 
Joe  Jefferson's  Life,  Wilder...  374 
Knighted  by  the  Queen,  Van 

Home   491 

Life  Prisoner,  Wilder 378 

London  Physician,  Van  Home.  495 


Pagre 


Anecdotes — continued : 
Lord  Wolseley  and  Smokeless 

Powder,   Maxim 45 

Never  Mind  the  Gas,  Wilder. .  376 
Nordica's    First    Engagement, 

Nordica   547 

Origin   of   Smokeless   Powder, 

Maxim  45 

Rapid-fire  Gun  in  Switzerland, 

Maxim   46 

Richard  and  the  Crown  Prince, 

Mansfield  383 

"  Salting "  a  "  Hayseed,"  Edi- 
son       24 

Save  Me  a  Spare-rib,  Wilder. . .  375 
School-boy  Compositions,  Bur- 
roughs      406 

Terrific  Storm,  Lipton 112 

Trying  the  Boss,  Maxim 40 

Two  Small  Boys,  Sousa 388 

Vampire,  Choate 200 

Volunteer       German       Friend, 

Johnson   239 

"Your  Eyre,"  Harrison 309 

Application,    see   Success   Quali- 
ties. 

Apprentice,  see  Methods. 
Arbitration,  see  Methods. 
"  Aristocracy,"  see  Success  Ideals. 
Art,  see  Careers. 
Artist,  see  Careers. 
Association,  with  able  men,  Bor- 

den 451 

Attention,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Authors,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 
Automatic  gun,  see  Achievements. 

Bad  habits,  see  Dangers. 

Banking,  see  Careers. 

Bar,  see  Careers. 

Battle-ships,  see  Achievements. 

Beginning    at    the    bottom,    see 
Start  in  Life. 

"Ben  Hur,"  see  Achievements. 

Bent: 

Art  must  be  inborn,  Gibson 343 

Boyhood  sketches,  Opper 354 

Leaning  toward  business,  Field    82 
Fitted  for  railroading,  Vander- 
bilt  141 


Topical  Index. 


Page 


Page 


Bent— continued :  Careers — continued  : 

Inclination  for  mechanics,  Van-  Could     succeed     at     anything, 

derbilt  139  Maxim   38 

Invention  born  in  a  man,  Edi-  Decorators,  biographies  of. ...  690 

son 27          Divines,  biographies  of 714 

Mechanics,  natural  to,  dowry.   146          Editors,  biographies  of 660 

Natural  bent  for  singing,  Nor-  Educators,  biographies  of 656 

dica   543          Explorers,  biographies  of 652 

School-boy    sketches,    Reining-  Farm,  Van  Home 496 

ton  328  Farmer   in   politics,    simplicity, 

Talent     must     be     cultivated,  sense,  Bordcn 452 

Shrady   370  Father    was    a     farmer,    Bur- 

Best,  sec  Methods.  roughs 405 

Blacksmith,  see  Careers.  Farmers,  scientific,  London....  484 

Blindness,  see  Obstacles.  Finance,  Burroughs 408 

Books,  see  Reading.  Financiers,  biographies  of 638 

Bottom  of  the  ladder,  see  Start  "Finding  one's  self,"  Shrady..  366 

in  life.  Humorists,  biographies  of 693 

British  Government,  see  Fame.  Illustrators,  biographies  of 690 

"  Broncho  Buster,"  see  Achieve-  Illustrating  for  girls,  Stephens, 

ments.  323,  324 

Busts,  see  Achievements.  Industrial    leaders,   biographies 

Business     ability,     see     Success  of  620 

Qualities.  Inventors,  biographies  of 633 

Journalism,  C  on-well 429 

Canada,  opportunity  in,  see  Op-  Journalists,  biographies  of 695 

portunity.  Jurists,  biographies  of 644 

Canadian     Pacific     R.     R.,     see  Law,  keep  out  of,  Platt 232 

Achievements.  Law,   Borden 451 

Canadians,  biographies  of,  see  Ca-  Law,  Dolliver 220 

reers.  Law  office  politics,  Parent 464 

Canniness,  see  Success  Qualities.  Lawyers,  biographies  of 644 

Careers:  Lawyer,  orator,  Gunsaulus. . . .  433 

Actors,  biographies  of 677          Lecturing,  C on-well 431 

Actresses,  biographies  of 681          Lecturers^  biographies  of 683 

Amusements,    Wilder 373          Literature,  Rilcy 258,  259,  260 

Art,  Ruckstuhl 364  Manufacturers,  biographies  of.  624 

Artist,  Op  per 354  Mechanics   and   R.   R.   finance, 

Authors,  biographies  of 702  Vanderbilt 139,  140,  141 

Banking,  Gage 133,  135          Merchants,  biographies  of 636 

Bar,  called  to,  Borden 450          Ministry,  Gunsaulus 434 

Blacksmith,  Collyer 442  Music  as  a  vocation,  Nor  dica..  543 

Canadians,  biographies  of.. 687,  700,          Musicians,  biographies  of 670 

716          Novelists,  biographies  of 704 

Cartoonists,  biographies  of....  691          Orators,  biographies  of 668 

Choice  of,  Abbey 314,  315          Oratory,  Depew 217 

Choosing  a  career,  Herreshoff.  534          Organizers,  biographies  of 683 

Commerce,  Field 83          Painting,    Shrady. 366 

Commercial,  mechanical  or  sci-  Philanthropists,  biographies  of.  712 

entific    pursuits    in    Canada,  Poets,  biographies  of 697 

London 483          Political  field,  Depew 214 

4 


Topical  Index. 


Page  Page 

Careers — continued:  Colleges,  see  Education. 

Political  leaders,  biographies  of.  641  Common  school,  see  Education. 

Political  life  in  Canada,  Blair. .  477  Commerce,  see  Careers. 

Politics,  Dcpew 211  Common      sense,      see      Success 

Politics,  Dolliver 221  Qualities. 

Politics,    Jones 508  Compositor,  see  Start  in  life. 

Politics,  public  utilities,  Jones..  509  Conceit,  see  Dangers. 

Politics,  young  men  in,  Roose-  Concentration,  see  Success  Quali- 

velt 174  ties. 

Practice  of  law,  Conwell 428  Concentration    of    business,    see 

Preacher,     merchant,     lawyer,  Dangers. 

politician,  doctor,  Gunsaulus .  433  Conservatism,  see  Success  Quali- 

Preparation,  Depciv 210  ties. 

Preparation,  Howells 286  Consistency,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Private  secretary,  Gould 417  Content,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Publishers,  biographies  of 663  Contentment,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Railroad  business,  Van  Home.  493  Convictions,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Railroad  official,  Depew 212  Copying  records,  see  Start  in  life. 

Reformers,  biographies  of 708  Cordiality,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Sailors,  biographies  of 648  Corresponding    with    papers,    see 

Sculptor,    poet,     artist,    Ruck-  Start  in  life, 

stuhl   358  Country  school  teacher,  see  Start 

Sculptors,  biographies  of 690  in  life. 

Singers,  biographies  of 674  Courage,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Soldiers,  biographies  of 648  Crippled,  see  Obstacles, 

Statesmen,  biographies  of 617  Cuba,  opportunity  in,  see  Oppor- 

Stick  to  your  calling,  Vreeland.  162  tunity. 

Teacher,  instructor,  Bordcn. . . .  450  Culture,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Telegraphy,  Carnegie 54,  55,  57 

Telegraphy,  Edison 21,  23,  24  Dangers: 

Telegraphy,    learning,    dowry,  Conceit,  Davenport 339 

145,  146,  147  Concentration       of       business, 

Train  despatcher,  Van  Horne. .  487  Jones  508 

Transportation,    leaders,    biog-  Content  in  idleness,  Choate. . . .  204 

raphies  of 629  Expensive      habits,      smoking, 

Travellers,  biographies  of 652  Mills  120 

Treasury,   Burroughs 408          Hurry,  haste,  Loudon 481 

United  States  Army,  Miles. . . .   193          Idleness,  Gould 417 

Writing  for  children,  Keller. . .  393          Idleness,  Mills 117 

Writers,  biographies  of 695          Indulgence,  Herreshoff 534 

Writers,    suggestions    to,    Wil-  Inexperience,  lack  of  tact,  Mills  123 

cox  276,  281  Luxuries,  wealth,  power,  Bur- 
Cartoonists,    biographies    of,    see                     roughs 410 

Careers.  Over-estimate  of  ability,   inac- 

Change,  see  Recreation.  tion,  Choate 202 

Character,  see  Success  Ideals.  Overwork,  Markham 269 

Character,  see  Success  Qualities.  Ruts,  Strauss 423 

Chinese  Medal,  see  Anecdotes.  Salary,  Van  Horne 493 

Civil  service,  see  Careers.  Weak  points,  Herreshoff 538 

Civil  War,  Conwell 427  Dauntlessness,  see  Success  Quali- 

Clerking,  see  Start  in  life.  ties. 

5 


Topical  Index. 


Page 


Page 


Deafness,  see  Obstacle.  Education — continued: 

Decision,  see  Turning  Point.  Education     for     women,     H. 

Decision,  see  Success  Qualities.  Gould   417 

Deliberation,  see  Success  Quali-  Effects  of,  Kcllar 398 

ties.  Elementary    education,    Schur- 

Determination,  see  Success  Quali-  man 245 

ties.  High  school  sufficient,  Field...     82 

Devotion,  see  Success  Qualities.  Home  study  in  art,  Oppcr 355 

Dignity,  see  Success  Qualities.  Of  artists,  Abbey 319 

Discipline,  see  Success  Qualities.  Of  the  blind  and  deaf,  Kcllar. .  397 

Discipline,  see  Methods.  Necessary  for  soldiers,  Miles. .  192 

Discouragement,  see  Failure.  Reading    my    college    course, 

Dispatcher,  see  Careers.  Collyer  443 

Divines,  biographies  of,  see  Ca-  Self-culture,  example  of,  How- 

reers.  ells  283 

Doctor,  see  Careers.  Self-culture  in  art,  Gibson 344 

Doing  good,  see  Success  Ideals.  Self-culture  in  art,  Shrady 367 

Drink,  see  Health.  Student    life    in    Paris,    Ruck- 

Drug-store,  retail,  see  Start  in  life.  stuhl   361 

Dutch  parentage,  see  Heredity.  Teaching  of  drawing,  Gibson. .  345 

Training  in  music,  Nordica. . . .  545 

Early  poverty,  see  Start  in  life.  Value  of,  Gage 136 

Early  rising,  see  Methods.  Village  school,  Op  per 354 

Early  training,  see  Methods.  Effort,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Earnestness,  see  Success  Qualities.  Eight-hour  work  day,  see  Work. 

Earning  his  way,  see  Start  in  life.  Energy,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Economy,  see  Success  Qualities.  Enterprise,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Economy,  see  Methods.  Enthusiasm,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Editors,  biographies  of,  see  Ca-  Essays,  see  Reading. 

reers.  Evening  study,  see  Reading. 

Educators,    biographies    of,    see  "  Evening,"  statue,  Ruckstuhl. . . .  362. 

Careers.,  Example,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Education,  see  Success  Ideals.  Executive    ability,    see    Success 

Education,  contentment,  Keller. .  401  Qualities. 

Education:  Exercise,  see  Heatlh. 

A  careless  student,  Wallace 297  Experience,  see  Methods. 

Advantage  of,  Platt 227  Explorers,    biographies    of,    see 

Advice  how  to  obtain,  Conwell.  430  Careers. 

College  an  advantage,  Riley...  260 

College    discipline    inadequate,  Failure: 

Herreshoff t 535          Began  life  with,  Parent 464 

College  not  necessary,  Field. ..     90  Discouragement,  Ruckstuhl....  363 

College  men  in  demand,  Schur-  Justify  failure,  Choate 201 

man  250  "  What  a  failure  I  am,"  Daven- 

College  not  necessary,  Gompers  167  port 33^ 

College  profitable,  Platt 227  Fame,  see  Success  Ideals. 

College  practical,  Roosevelt 175  Farming,  see  Careers. 

College  vs.  home,  Gage 135  Farmer's  boy,  see  Start  in  life. 

Common       school       sufficient,  Farming  conditions,  see  Start  in 

dowry  151  life. 

Cut  short,  Armour 514  Fidelity,  see  Success  Qualities. 

6 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Finance,  see  Careers. 

Financiers,  biographies  of,  see 
Careers. 

Flying  machines,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

"Force,"  statue,  Ruckstuhl 362 

Forceful,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Foresight,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Frankness,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Freedom,  see  Success  Ideals. 

French  descent,  see  Heredity. 

French  Huguenots,  see  Heredity. 

Friends,  Keller 400 

Frugality,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Gameness,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Gas  machine,  see  Achievements. 
Genius,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Gift,  see  Bent. 

Goethe,  bust,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Golden  Mean,  see  Success  Ideals. 
Golden  Rule,  see  Methods. 
Good  habits,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Good     judgment,     see     Success 

Qualities. 
Grocery  clerk,  see  Start  in  life. 

Habit,  see  Methods. 

Habits,  see  Health. 

Happiness,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Hard  work,  see  Success  Qualities. 

"  Hartranft,"  statue,  Ruckstuhl. .  364 

Haste,  see  Dangers. 

Health: 
A  prime  requisite,  Roosevelt...  181 

Good  habits,  Sage 130 

Habits,  Platt 233 

Keeping  healthy,  Edison 34 

Large  and  strong,  Maxim 40 

Methods  of  securing,  Smith...  456 
Powerful  physique,  Nordica...  555 

Heeding  advice,  see  Success 
Qiialities. 

Heredity: 

American  stock,  Platt 226 

Chip  of  the  old  block,  Vander- 

bilt  142 

Dutch  parentage,  Edison 19 

French  descent,  Parent 465 

Heir    to    Vanderbilt    millions, 
Vanderbilt  138 


Page 

Heredity— continued : 

Inheritance,  Wanamaker 93 

New  England  annals,  Choate..  203 
New  England  stock,  Nordica. .  542 
New  England  stock,  French 

Huguenots,  Depezv 209 

Patriot  and   fighter  by  inheri- 
tance, Pingree 77 

Scotch  blood,  Loudon 479 

Scotch  ancestors,  Armour 512 

Scottish  ancestors,  Carnegie ...     52 

Spanish  ancestors,  Sousa 385 

Swiss  ancestors,  Keller 395 

Training,  teaching,  Armour  . . .  524 
United  States  stock,  Borden...  449 

"  High  Noon,"  poem,  Wilcox. . . .  274 

High  school,  see  Education. 

High  thinking,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Home,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Homestead     Steel     Works,     see 
Achievements. 

Home  study,  see  Education. 

Home  study,  see  Reading. 

Honesty,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Hours  of  work,  see  Work. 

Humor,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Humorists,    biographies    of,    see 
Careers. 

Hurry,  see  Dangers. 

Idleness,  see  Dangers. 

"  Ike  Walton's  Prayer,"  see  Suc- 
cess Ideals. 

Illustrating,  see  Careers. 

Illustrators,   biographies    of,    see 
Careers. 

Imagination,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Inaction,  see  Dangers. 

Inclination,  see  Bent. 

Income,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Independence,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Individuality,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Indulgence,  see  Dangers. 

Industry,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Inexperience,  see  Dangers. 

Influence: 

Civilizing  "bad   men,"   Roose- 
velt   " 184 

In  literature,  Wilcox 279 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Influence— continued : 
Mme  Maretzek,  Brignola,  Nor- 

dica   546 

Young    women     who    become 
wives,  London 481 

Inheritance,  see  Heredity. 

Initiative,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Inspiration,  sec  Success  Qualities. 

Instructor,  see  Careers. 

Integrity,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Intellect,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Interest,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Inventors,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Janitor,  see  Start  in  life. 

"Joe  Jefferson's  Life,"  see  Anec- 
dotes. 

Journalism,  see  Careers. 

Journalists,  biographies  of,  see 
Careers. 

Jurists,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Justice,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Keystone     Bridge     Works,     see 

Achievements. 
Knowledge  of  different  sections, 

Smith   459 

Knowledge,  see  Success  Qualities. 

"Laugh  and  the  World  Laughs," 

poem,  Wilcox 273 

Law,  see  Careers. 

Laws,  see  Achievements. 

Lawyers  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Leaders,  Herreshoff 537 

Leaders,  industrial,  biographies 
of,  see  Careers. 

Leaders,  political,  biographies  of, 
see  Careers. 

Leaders,  transportation,  biogra- 
phies of,  see  Careers. 

Leadership,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Leaning,  see  Bent. 

Lecturing,  see  Careers. 

Lecturers,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Leisure  time,  Opper 355 

Libraries,  see  Reading. 


Page 


8 


Liquors,  see  Health. 

Literature,  influence  of,  sec  Influ- 
ence. 

Literature,  see  Careers. 

Love  for  humanity,  Strauss 423 

Love    your    work,    see    Sitccess 
Qualities. 

Loyalty,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Luck: 

No  such  thing,  Sage 127 

Of  preparation,  Choate 199 

Luxuries,  see  Dangers. 

Macaulay,  bust,  Ruckstuhl 364 

"  Man  with  the  Hoe,"  poem,  see 
Work. 

Manhood,  sec  Success  Qualities. 

Manliness,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Manufactures,  biographies  of,  see 
Careers. 

Mathematics,  see  Reading. 

''Mayday  Morn,"  painting,  Abbey.  317 

Mayoralty       of       Detroit,       sec 
Achievements. 

Mechanics,  see  Bent. 

Mechanics,  see  Careers. 

Memory,  see  Mother. 

Memory,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Merchant,  see  Careers. 

Merchants,    biographies    of,    sec 
Careers. 

Mercury,  statue,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Merit,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Messenger  boy,  see  Start  in  life. 

Methods: 

American  methods,  Lipton in 

Apprentice  system,  Herreshoff.  535 

Arbitration,  Gompers 171 

Artists  sketches,  Opper 357 

Best  known  methods,  Armour.  520 
Clerical  work  overtime,   Vree- 

land 155 

Combine    books    and    observa- 
tion, Lipton 1 16 

"  Early  rising,"  Armour 511 

Early  training,  Gunsaulus 439 

Economy,     discipline,     system, 

Armour   513 

Edison's  day's  work,  Edison...     33 

Experience,  Wanamaker 103 

Develop  ability,  Herreshoff —  536 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Methods— continued : 

Doing  my  best,  dowry 147 

Getting    work    before     public, 

Wilcox  277 

Golden  Rule,  Jones 505 

Habit  of  thrift,  Mills 119 

Habit  of  studying  and  thinking, 

Campers 167 

High-priced  men  and  one-man 

power,  Vreeland 162 

I  always  carry  a  sketch-book, 

Opper   357 

Imitating    writings    of    others, 

Hoivclls   286 

In  authorship,  Wilcox 281 

In  building  career,  London. .. .  480 

I  never  worried,  Pingree 75 

I    never   mapped   out   my   life, 

Pingree 74 

I  perform  more   services  than 

allotted,  dowry 149 

I  work  methodically,  Opper...  354 

Literary  methods,   Wilcox 275 

Of  a  bandmaster,  Sousa 387 

Of  a  general,  Miles 190 

Of  a  merchant,  Field 86 

Of  a  governor  with  petitioners, 

Pingree 72 

Of  an  artist,  Remington 330 

Of  an  inventor,  Maxim 50 

Of  a  sculptor,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Of  a  writer,  Harrison 307 

Of  a  writer,  Hozvell 289 

Of  composition,  Sousa 389 

Of  daily  work,  Edison 33 

Of  daily  work,  Parent 461 

Of  drawing  cartoons,  Opper. . .  354 

Of  early  training,  Depew 209 

Of  inventing,  Edison 28 

Of  naturalist,  Burroughs 411 

Of  nature  study,  Burroughs...  409 
Of  railroad  men,  Vanderbilt...   141. 

Of  promotion,  Carnegie 65 

Of  rehearsal,  Mansfield 382 

Of  the  rising  man,  Carnegie. . .     59 
Of  sculpturing  horses,  Shrady.  370 

Of  successful  men,  Gage 135 

Preparation,   Vanderbilt 143 

Preparation  for  practical  pur- 
suits,  London 483 

Rise  early,  Armour 522 


Page 
Methods — continued : 

Route  to  success,  Pingree 75 

Sacrifices,    Dollivcr 220 

"  Save   early,   invest   securely," 

Carnegie 62 

Science    of    achievement,    Lip- 
ton  12 

Studied  to  win  promotion,  Ar- 
mour    513 

The  true  bosses,  Carnegie 69 

To  get  to  the  top,  Maxim 41 

To  induce  saving,  Carnegie. ...     65 
To  win  promotion,  Carnegie. . .     60 

"  You  strive,"  Ruckstuhl 365 

Metropolitan  Street  Railway  Sys- 
tem, see  Achievements. 
Mind  stuff,  see  Reading. 
Ministry,  see  Careers. 
Minneapolis  Tribune,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

Misfortune,  see  Obstacles. 
Modesty,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Money,  see  Wealth. 
Mother: 

Early  teaching,  Plait 227 

Home  manager,  Stephens 324 

Influence  of,  Herrcshoff 534 

Influence  of  mother,  Markham.  267 

Interest  and  care  of,  Field 82 

Memory  of  home,  Johnson ....  234 
Select    a    good    mother,    Her- 

reshoff 533 

Should  study  each  child,  Her- 

reshoff 538 

Strict,  but  very  tender,  Platt.. .  226 

Tribute  to,  Herreshoff 539 

"  Mr.   Dinkelspiel,"  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

Musicians,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Nature,  love  of,  Burroughs 410 

Nature  study,  Burroughs 409 

New  England  stock,  see  Hered- 
ity. 

Newsboy,  see  Start  in  life. 
New  York,  alone  in,  see  Start  in 

life. 

New  York  University,  Gould. . . .  419 
New  York  University,  Conwell. .  431 
Night  study,  see  Reading. 


Topical  Index. 


Page 


Novelists,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 


Observation,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 
Obstacles: 

Blindness,  Herreshoff 539 

Cost  of  distinction,  Nordica . . .  557 

Crippled,   Wilder. 373 

Deaf,  dumb  and  blind,  Keller. .  396 

Delicate  health,  Roosevelt 181 

Disappointment,   Davenport....  336 

Fire  of  1871,  Field 86 

Glorious  to  be  barred,  Riley. . .  259 
Misfortune,  advantage  of,  Con- 
well  426 

Telegraph  was  new,  dowry...  147 
Ohio,    iron    bridge    across,    see 

Achievements. 
Ohio   Wesleyan   Seminary,   Gun- 

saulus  434 

Operas  and  marches,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 
Opportunity: 

A  chance  for  all,  Carnegie 58 

American  new  possessions,  De- 
pew  216 

Ample,  Jones 509 

Better,  larger,  Armour 512 

Better  than  ever,  Herreshoff...  537 
Chances  of  rising,  Herreshoff..  537 

Come  to  all,  Choate 200 

Come  to  every  one,  Strauss 423 

Commercial    better   than   ever, 

dowry  151 

Commercial  life  heavily  handi- 
capped, Jones 508 

Conditions      more      favorable, 

Wanamaker 105 

Could  start  anew  and  win,  Lip- 
ton  in 

Countless  things  to  do,  Lipton.  115 

East  and  West,  Sage 128 

Everyone  has  good  chance,  Sage  127 
Everything     open     to     youth, 

Howells  283 

For  art  study  in  America,  Gib- 
son   351,  352 

For  young  preacher,  Gunsaulus  439 
For  country  boys,  Sage 129 


Page 


Opportunity— continued : 
For    great    American    women 

singers,  Nordica 556 

For  young  men,  Dolliver 222 

Great  Britain  vs.  America,  Lip- 
ton  114 

Greater  than  ever  before,  Ar- 
mour    527 

Improved  by  education,  Roose- 
velt    177 

In  Canada,  Borden 448 

In  Canada,  London 482 

In  Canada,  Smith 456 

In  Canadian  Northwest,  Blair..  474 
In  Canada  for  young  men,  Blair  473 

In  Cuba,  Van  Home 496 

Increased  a  thousandfold,  Mills 

120,  121 

In  realm  of  electricity,  Edison.  30 
In  towns  and  cities,  Roosevelt.  175 

In  Quebec,  Parent 466 

In  Quebec,  Ontario,  and  North- 
west, Van  Home 492 

Less  than  formerly,  Pingrce ...  76 
Make  opportunity,  Herreshoff..  536 
Merit  quickly  rewarded,  dowry  148 

More  than  in  past,  DC  pew 207 

More  things  to  do,  Depezv 208 

Moving  grain  and   cattle,  Ar- 
mour    517 

New  industries,  broader  fields, 

Sage 128 

No  time  like  present,  Mills 118 

Of  a  small  church,  Gunsaulus. .  435 
Of  becoming  proprietor,  Her- 
reshoff    538 

Our     new     possessions,     Gun- 
saulus     439 

Plentiful,  Depew 208 

Right  men  in  demand,  Carne- 
gie      59 

Seizing    opportunities,     Wana- 
maker       98 

To  convey  water,  Armour 517 

To    create,    to    develop,     Van 

Home  488 

To  rise  quickly,  Carnegie 52 

We  are  what  we  choose,  Gun- 
saulus    435 

Ontario,  opportunity  in,  see  Op- 
portunity. 


1O 


Topical  Index. 


Orators,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 

Oratory,  see  Careers. 

Organizers,  biographies  of,  see 
Careers. 

Out-of-doors,  see  Recreation. 

Overwork,  see  Dangers. 


Painstaking,  see  Success   Quali- 
ties. 

Painting,  see  Careers. 

Painting,  see  Recreation. 

Paris,  Nordica 551 

Partnership,  see  Achievements. 

Patience,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Patriotism,  Gould 416 

Peace,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Peace  of  Mind,  Burroughs 410 

Perseverance,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Persistence,    see    Success    Quali- 
ties. 

Philanthropists,    biographies     of, 
see  Careers. 

Philosophy,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Photograph     supply     store,     see 
Start  in  life. 

Physical    strength,    see    Success 
Qualities. 

Physique,  see  Health. 

Poems,  see  Achievements. 

Poetry,  see  Reading. 

Poets,  biographies  of,  see  Careers. 

Poets,  see  Careers. 

Political    honors,    see    Achieve- 
ments. 

Politics,  see  Careers. 

Poverty,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Poverty: 

An  incentive,  Choate 203 

Purpose       through        poverty, 

Choate 202 

Want  urges  to  effort,  Edison..     26 

Position,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Power,  see  Dangers. 

Preachers,  see  Careers. 

Preparation,  see  Careers. 

Preparation,  see  Method. 

Principles,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Printer's  devil,  see  Start  in  Life. 


Page  Page 

Printing  office,  see  Start  in  Life. 

Progress,  Parent 468 

Promotion,  Carnegie 58 

Promptness,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Public  service,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Publishers,  biographies  of,  see 
Careers. 

"  Puck,"  see  Achievements. 

Punctuality,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Purpose,  see  Success  Qualities. 

"Push,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Quebec,  opportunity  in,  see  Op- 
portunity. 

Rapid-fire  gun,  see  Achievements. 
Reading: 

A  great  advantage,  Plait 228 

Always    carried   a   book,    Con- 
well  427 

Books  and  the  maiden,  Collyer.  442 
Col.    Anderson's    library,    Car- 
negie       53 

"  Congressional   Record,"  Dol- 

liver 219 

Evening  study,  Wallace 301 

Home  study,  Clowry 148 

I  devoured  poetry,  Markham..  268 

I  loved  to  read,  Wallace 298 

I  made  use  of  books,  Field 82 

Influence  of,  Armour 513 

Many    hours    with    great    au- 
thors,  Gage 132 

Mathematics,  Edison 19 

"  Progress  and  Poverty,"  John- 
son   238 

Read  because  I  wanted  to  read, 

Howells 293 

Reading  constantly,  Howells. . .  284 

Scientific  books,  Edison 23 

Study  nights,  Gunsaulus 434 

Study  all  the  time,  Conwell 431 

Taste  ran  to  essays,  Burroughs.  407 
Tried   to    read    entire    free    li- 
brary, Edison 19 

Uses  mind-stuff,  Howells 288 

Recreation: 

Change    or    recreation,    Herre- 
shoff   535 

11 


Topical  Index. 


Page 


Soldiers,  biographies  of,  sec  Ca- 
reers. 


Page 


Recreation— continued : 

In  painting  pictures,  Van  Home  495 

Out-of-doors,  Roosevelt 176      "  Solon,"  bust,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Yachting,  Lipton 116      Spanish  ancestors,  see  Heredity. 

Reformers,    biographies    of,    see  Start  in  Life: 

Careers.  A  little  barren  hut,  Jones 501 

Retire  early,  see  Health.  Alone  in  N.  Y.,  Lipton no 

Riches,  see  Wealth.  A  newsboy,  Edison 20 

Rising  in  the  world,  see  Oppor-  A  printer's  devil,  Op  per 355 

tunity.  As  a  clerk,  Field 83 

Ruts,  see  Dangers.  Begin  at  the  bottom,   Vander- 

bilt 139 

Bottom  of  the  ladder,  Mills.. . .  122 

Sacrifice,  see  Success  Qualities.  Capital  twenty  dollars,  Collyer.  444 

Sailors,   biographies    of,   see   Ca-  Cattle  range  and  farm,  Mark- 

reers.  ham  268 

Salary,  see  Dangers.  Clerk,  Mansfield 381 

Saving,  see  Methods.  Clerk  in  store,  Schurman 246 

Saving,  see  Success  Qualities.  Compositor  in  N.  Y.,  Opper. . .  355 

Scholarship,  see  Achievements.  Copying  records,  Wallace 300 

School  days,  see  Education.  Corresponding      with      papers, 

Sculptor,  see  Careers.  Houiells   287 

Seclusion,    Burroughs 410          Country  school  teacher,  Dolli- 

Secretary,  see  Careers.  ver 220 

Self-confidence,        see       Success  Depended  early  upon  self.  Mills  119 

Qualities.  Dollar  and  a  half  a  week,  Wana- 

Self-culture,  see  Education.  maker  93 

Self-denial,  see  Success  Qualities.  Early  poverty,  Jones 502 

Self-help,  see  Success  Qualities.  Earned  his  own  way,  Depew..  .  208 

Self-reliance,  see  Success  Quali-  Farm  boy  at  seventeen,  Pingree    72 

ties.  Farmer's  boy,  Burroughs 405 

Self-respect,   see  Success   Quali-  Farmer's  boy,  Field 81 

tics.  Farmer's  boy,  Schurman 244 

Scotch  blood,  see  Heredity.  Farming  conditions,  Field 81 

Sentiment,  see  Success  Qualities.  Farming,     studying,     teaching, 

Shoe  factory,  sec  Start  in  Life.  Burroughs   408 

Shoveling    gravel,    see    Start    in  Grocery  clerk,  Sage 126 

Life.  Introduced  to  the  broom,  Car- 
Shrewdness,   see  Success  Quali-                    negie  56 

tics.  I  used  to  get  my  own  meals, 

Simple  life,  see  Success  Ideals.  dowry   146 

Simplicity,  see  Sticcess  Ideals.  Janitor,  Gage 132 

Sincerity,  see  Success  Qualities.  Messenger  boy,  dowry 145 

Singers,  biographies  of,  see   Ca-  Nordica's  first  tour,  Nordica. .  549 

reers.  On  the  farm,  Conwell 426 

Sleeping-car  industry,  Carnegie..  60          Photograph  supply  store,  Ruck- 
Smokeless  powder,  see  Achieve-                    stuhl  359 

ments.  Printing  office,  Davenport 337 

Smoking,  see  Health.  Retail  drug  store,  Platt 229 

Smoking,  see  Dangers.  Rich  men's  sons,  Carnegie 69 

Society,  Gould 418          Shoe  factory,  Pingree 73 

12 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Start  in  Life— continued  : 
Shoveling  gravel,  Vrceland.  ..  .   154 

The  farm,  Armour 514 

Thirty   dollars   a   year,   Schur- 

man  245 

Utility    boy    on    railroad,    Van 

Home  487 

Young    men     without    capital, 

Carnegie  51,  52 

Statesmen,     biographies    of,    see 

Careers. 

Statues,  see  Achievements. 
Steam  motors,  see  Achievements. 
Steel  works,  see  Achievements. 
Stick-to-a-tive-ness,    see    Success 

Qualities. 

Stores,  see  Achievements. 
Storey    Farm,    Oil    Creek,     Pa., 

Carnegie  63 

Strict      attention,      see     Success 

Qualities. 
Submarine      cable      device,      see 

Achievements. 

"  Suburban  resident,"  see  Achieve- 
ments. 
Success,  see  Success  Ideals. 

Success,  Blair 473 

Success,  Mansfield 380 

Success  Ideals: 

Achievement,     contentment, 
wealth      and      power,      Van 

Home  485 

A  comfortable  home,  Blair 475 

An  ideal  example,  Burroughs..  404 
Broaden   and   enjoy   life,   Bur- 
roughs   410 

Character,  Blair 476 

Content,  Burroughs 405 

Cultivation,    mind    and    heart, 

Jones 509 

Doing  good,  Depew 218 

Education  before  wealth,  Keller  401 
Fame,  position,  income,  Choate.  199 

Final  aristocracy,  Carnegie 66 

Freedom  and  peace,  Burroughs.  405 

Golden  mean,  Burroughs 412 

Great  men   need   little  money, 

Burroughs  403 

Happiness,  Choate 204,  205 

Happiness,  Howells 294,  295 

High  thinking,  Burroughs 407 


Page 


Success  Ideals — continued  : 
"  Ike  Walton's   Prayer,"  Rilcy, 

253,  254 

Material  success,  Depew 216 

Money  making   not  a   success, 

Dolliver 223 

Not  high  enough,  Gunsaulus. . .  438 

Of  a  minister,  Gunsaulus 436 

Public  service,  Field 91 

Simplicity,      unconventionality, 

Blair   477 

Something  for  others,  Armour.  527 
"  The  Creed,"  poem,  Wilcox. . .  274 
The  Simple  Life,  Burroughs.  ..  410 
To  do  everything,  H.  Gould.. . .  415 
Usefulness  to  others,  Jones.  .. .  510 
Usefulness  to  society,  Van 

Home  486 

Wealth  a  false  ideal,  Parent... .  467 

Wider  and  greater,  Field 89 

Success  Qualities: 
Ability,  energy,  will,  ambition, 

Borden  

Adaptability,  attention,  Plait... 

Ambition,  Sage 

Ambition,   Vanderbilt 

Application,  Armour 

Application,  concentration,  Edi- 
son       29 

Application,  honesty,  Conwcll.  431 
Attention,     deliberate,     consis- 
tent, Strauss 425 

Attention,    will,    stick,    energy, 

industry,  Strauss 424 

Canniness,     energy,     conserva- 
tism, sentiment,  Parent 469 

Character,    Miles 192 

Common  sense,  Gunsaulus 436 

Common  sense,  Roosevelt 178 

Concentration,  Edison 29 

Concentration       of       thought, 

Wanamaker 104 

Consistency,       honesty,       hard 

work,  Depeiv 215 

Convictions,  desire  to  achieve, 

Gunsaulus 435 

Convictions,  character,  Jones..  .  508 
Convictions,    work,    public    fa- 
vor, Gunsaulus 433 

Cordiality,  dignity,  Borden 453 

Courage,  honesty,  Roosevelt...  177 


Topical  Index. 


Page 
Success  Qualities — continued : 

Courage,  Miles 194 

Courage,      energy,      ambition, 

Smith    459 

Courage    our    national    virtue, 

Miles 194 

Dauntlessness,  loyal,  Miles. . . .   191 
Decision,  independence,  Mills..   120 
Determination,  application,  Ste- 
phens   324 

Determination,  Op  per 353 

Determination,  ambition,  Oppcr  354 

Devotion,  Campers 171 

Devotion,  time,  thought,  energy, 

Nordica   543 

Dignity,    self-reliance,    self-re- 
spect, Borden 450 

Discipline,  Strauss 423 

Earnestness,  honesty,  Lipton...  113 

Economy,  Parent 461 

Economy,  Strauss 422 

Effort,      economy,       common- 
sense,  Wanamaker 107 

Energy,  work  hard,  Gunsaulus.  439 
Enthusiasm,       interest,       Van 

Home  494 

Executive  ability,  Herreshoff. .  537 
Fidelity,  loyalty,  manhood,  Platt  232 

Foresight,  Roosevelt 176 

Frankness,      honesty,      energy, 

perseverance,  Pingree 77 

Frugality,  honesty,  energy,  in- 
tegrity, Field. 89 

Gameness,     integrity,     forceful 

character,  Roosevelt 186 

Genius,    devotion,    application, 

Collyer 445 

Good  judgment,  Field 87 

Good      habits,      perseverance, 

Wilcox   281 

Hard  work,  Gunsaulus 433 

Heeding  advice,  thought,  mem- 
ory, observation,  Herreshoff.  540 
Honest     dealing,     adaptability, 

strict  attention,  Platt 231 

Honesty,  Field 91 

Honesty,  courage,  Roosevelt. . .  177 
Honesty,    industry    and    thrift, 

Parent 466 

Honesty,  Lipton 113 

Honesty,  Sage 129 


Page 

Success  Qualities — continued : 

Humility,  Mills 122 

Humor,    shrewdness,    patience, 

Loudon  479 

Imagination,  Ruckstuhl 365 

Imagination,  philosophy,  Lou- 
don  484 

Independence,  interest,  con- 
centration, inspiration,  Van 

Home 493 

Individuality,  Gibson 346,  347 

Individuality,  energy,  will,  per- 
severance, Pingree 77 

Initiative,  justice,  Van  Home..  486 

Inspiration,  Ruckstuhl 362 

Integrity,  energy,  business  abil- 
ity, Armour 520 

Intellect,       energy,       ambition, 

Maxim  37 

I  would  stick  to  it,  Conwell.. ..  427 
Knowledge,  convictions,  atten- 
tion to  details,  Borden 452 

Leadership,  Gunsaulus 440 

Love  your  work,  Alans  field. . . .  380 

Loyalty,  Gompers 172 

Manhood,  Platt 232 

Manliness,  persistency,  willing- 
ness to  work,  Jones 501 

Merit,  Herreshoff 538 

Modesty,  Armour 512 

Modesty,  Gould 416 

Painstaking,  energy,  Mansfield.  381 

Painstaking,  Abbey 318 

Patience,  perseverance,  fidelity, 

Keller  400 

Perseverance,  Gage 134 

Persistence,  Riley 258 

Persistence     and     hard    work, 

Sousa 388 

Physical  strength,  Depew 210 

Poverty,  work,  Jones 510 

Principles,      health,      ambition, 

Field  84 

Prompt,  bright,  willing,  accom- 
modating, Wanamaker 94 

Punctuality,  Parent 463 

Purpose,  Choate 202 

Purpose,  energy,  determina- 
tion, concentration,  will,  Bor- 
den    448 

Push,  Wanamaker 106 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Success  Qualities— continued : 

Sacrifice,  devotion,  Gompers...  171 

Saving,  Carnegie 62 

Saving     money,     thrift,     Car- 
negie       69 

Self-confidence,  Ruckstuhl 361 

Self-denial,      industry,      econ- 
omy, attention,  purpose,  Her- 

rcshoff 533 

Self-help,  recreation,  very  best 

work,  Hcrrcshoff 534 

Self-respect,  Strauss 422 

Sincerity,  energy,  purpose,  per- 
severance, Pingree 77 

System,  Armour 518 

System,  good  measure,  Armour  519 
Talent,  persistence,  energy,  en- 
thusiasm, determination,  toil, 

Riley 258 

Temperament,    energy,    Herre- 

shoff   535 

Thoroughness,  Maxim 41 

Thrift,  Carnegie 69 

Thrift  applied  to  saving,  Lipton  115 
Thrift,  hard  work,  Carnegie...     67 

Truth,  Armour 520 

Versatility,  Roosevelt 176 

Vigilance,  Parent 465 

Wide  awake,  attention  to  duty, 

integrity,   Strauss 424 

Will,  character,  determination, 

Nordica    542 

Will  power,  Wilcox 282 

Willingness,   Vreeland 156 

Work,  Abbey 319 

Zeal,  determination,  enterprise, 

Loudon 482 

Swiss  ancestors,  see  Heredity. 
System,  see  Success  Qualities. 
System,  see  Methods. 

Tact,  lack  of,  see  Dangers. 

Talent,  see  Bent. 

Talent,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Teacher,  see  Careers. 

Telegraphic  recorder,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

Telegraphy,  see  Careers. 

Temperament,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Temple  College,  Conwell 430 


•Pag* 

"  The  Birth  of  the  Opal,"  poem, 

Wilcox  274 

"  The  Creed,"  poem,  see  Success 

Qualities. 
"The     Empty     Saddle,"     statue, 

Shrady 369 

"  The    Fair   God,"   see   Achieve- 
ments. 

"The  Two  Glasses,"  poem,  Wil- 
cox   274 

Thoroughness,  see  Success  Qauli- 

ties. 

Thought,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Thrift,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Time,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Titles,  see  Achievements. 
"  To  an  Astrologer,"  poem,  Wil- 
cox   274 

Toil,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Treasury,  see  Careers. 
Truth,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Turning  Points: 
A  fortunate  misfortune,  John- 
son   236 

Decision  to  be  a  sculptor,  Ruck- 
stuhl     360 

Decision     to     go     to     college, 

Schurman 246 

Entered   telegraph    office,    Car- 
negie       54 

I  began  to  save,  Armour 520 

I  determined  to  start  for  Chi- 
cago,  Gage 133 

I  must  go  to  America,  Collyer.  444 
I  sold  my  country  store,  Sage. .  127 
I  went  West  to  Chicago,  Field.  83 

Law  case,  Conwell 429 

Making  the  first  note,  Carnegie  62 
Saving  the  first  five  thousand 

dollars,  Field 87 

Starting  grocery  store,  Lipton..   in 
Threw    down    my    pitch-fork, 
Armour <t...  515 


Unconventionality,    see    Success 

Ideals. 

United  States  Army,  see  Careers. 
United   States   Express   Co.,   see 

Achievements. 
United  States  stock,  see  Heredity. 


Topical  Index. 


Page 

Upper  Union  Rolling  Mills,  see 
Achievements. 

Usefulness  to  others,  see  Success 
Ideals. 

Usefulness  to  society,  see  Suc- 
cess Ideals. 

Utility  boy,  see  Start  in  Life. 

Vacation,  Van  Home 494 

Vanderbilt  millions,  see  Heredity. 

Vanderbilt  system,  see  Achieve- 
ments. 

Versatility,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

"Victory,"  statue,  Ruckstuhl 364 

Victories,  see  Achievements. 

Vigilance,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Vigor,  see  Health. 

Vitality,  see  Health. 

Walking,  see  Health. 

Want,  see  Poverty. 

Weak  points,  see  Dangers. 

Wealth: 

A  sacred  trust,  Carnegie 67 

Benefactor  to  mankind,  Mills. .  118 

Money  his  servant,  Jones 510 

Never  disturbs  me,  Burroughs.  403 

Responsibility  of,  Mills 123 

Rich     without     money,     Bur- 
roughs   412 

Slaves  of  wealth,  Jones 510 

Wealth,  see  Success  Ideals. 

West,  Conwell 427 

"  Wherever  you  are,"  poem,  Wil- 
cox 274 

Wide  awake,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Will,  see  Success  Qualities. 

Willingness,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

Will  power,  see  Success  Quali- 
ties. 

"  Wisdom,"  statue,  Ruckstuhl 362 

Wives,  influence  of,  see  Influence. 


Page 

"  Woody  Crest,"  Gould 415 

Women,  education  for,  see  Edu- 
cation. 
Work: 

Ability  to  work  hard,  Roose- 
velt    176 

Eight-hour  work  day,  Gompers  170 

Heart  and  soul  in,  Lipton 113 

I  like  it,  Edison 27,  29 

I  must  work  and  perfect  my- 
self, Nordica 545 

Influence  of,  Markham 269 

Keynote  of  success,  Mills 117 

Let  the  work  show,  Herreshoff  532 
Literary  life  me.ans  work,  Riley  260 

Love  your  work,  Mansfield 380 

Making  a  great  voice,  Nordica.  542 
"  Man   with  the   Hoe,"   Mark- 
ham  264 

Moderate    number    of    hours, 

Depcw 214 

Nobility  of  work,  Collycr 445 

Record  of  steady  work,  Abbey.  317 

Short  hours,  Field 88 

Twenty  hours  a  day,  Edison. . .     27 

Work  all  the  time,  Gibson 349 

Work  hard  on  long  lines,  Coll- 

yer 445 

Work  incessantly,  Gibson 349 

"  Work  is  to  my  taste,"   Van- 
derbilt    140 

Work  long  time  without  sleep, 

Wanamaker 105 

Working  hours,  Gunsaulus. . . .  438 
Work,  see  Success  Qualities. 
Work  hard,  see  Success   Quali- 
ties. 

Writers,  biographies  of,  see  Ca- 
reers. 


Yachting,  see  Recreation. 

Yale  College,  Conwell 

Young  men,  see  Start  in  life. 

Zeal,  see  Success  Qualities. 


427 


16 


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